How We Were Introduced

—for perfidious protectors

I was playing in the street

no one paid attention to me

as I made forms out of sand

mumbling Rimbaud under my breath

once an elderly gentleman overheard it

—little boy you are a poet

just now we are organizing

a grass-roots literary movement

he stroked my dirty head

gave me a large lollypop

and even bought clothes

in the protective coloring of youth

I didn’t have such a splendid suit

since first communion

short trousers and a wide

sailor’s collar

black patent leather shoes with a buckle

white knee-high socks

the elderly gentleman took me by the hand

and led the way to the ball

other boys were there

also in short trousers

carefully shaven

shuffling their feet

—well boys now it’s time to play

why are you standing in the corners

asked the elderly gentleman

—make a circle holding hands

but we didn’t want tag

or blindman’s buff

we had enough of the elderly gentleman

we were very hungry

so we were seated promptly

around a large table

given lemonade

and pieces of cake

now disguised as adults

with deep voices

the boys got up they praised us

or slapped us on our hands

we didn’t hear anything

didn’t feel anything

staring with great eyes

at the piece of cake

that kept melting

in our hot hands

and this sweet taste the first in our lives

disappeared inside our dark sleeves

Copyright Credit: "How We Were Introduced" from Elegy for the Departure by Zbigniew Herbert, translated by John Carpenter and Bogdana Carpenter. Copyright © 1999 by Zbigniew Herbert. Translation copyright © 1999 by John Carpenter and Bogdana Carpenter. Used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, www.harpercollins.com

Source: Elegy for the Departure (The Ecco Press, 1999)