boy and egg::niño y huevo
Boy and Egg
Every few minutes, he wants
to march the trail of flattened rye grass
back to the house of muttering
hens. He too could make
a bed in hay. Yesterday the egg so fresh
it felt hot in his hand and he pressed it
to his ear while the other children
laughed and ran with a ball, leaving him,
so little yet, too forgetful in games,
ready to cry if the ball brushed him,
riveted to the secret of birds
caught up inside his fist,
not ready to give it over
to the refrigerator
or the rest of the day.
Every few minutes, he wants
to march the trail of flattened rye grass
back to the house of muttering
hens. He too could make
a bed in hay. Yesterday the egg so fresh
it felt hot in his hand and he pressed it
to his ear while the other children
laughed and ran with a ball, leaving him,
so little yet, too forgetful in games,
ready to cry if the ball brushed him,
riveted to the secret of birds
caught up inside his fist,
not ready to give it over
to the refrigerator
or the rest of the day.
Fuel
BOA Editions, USA (1998)
Niño y huevo
A cada rato, él quiere
seguir el rastro de hierba de centeno aplastado
de regreso a la casa de las gallinas
murmuradoras. Él también podría hacer
una cama de heno. Ayer el huevo tan fresco
se sentía cálido en su mano y lo presionó
a su oído mientras los otros niños
se reían y corrían tras la pelota, dejándolo atrás,
tan poco todavía, demasiado olvidadizo en los juegos,
listo para llorar si la pelota lo rozara,
clavado al secreto de las aves
atrapado dentro de su puño,
no está listo para dárselo
al refrigerador
o el resto del día.
NAOMI SHIHAB NYE
Fuel
Ediciones BOA, Estados Unidos (1998)
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