His Life

The hot wash of his life
was too much for her
and she slowly got smaller
and tighter as her threads shrunk
and her colour faded
until she was so small
she was sent to school.

 

Sa Vie

Le bain de sa vie
était trop chaud pour elle.
Et elle rapetissait lentement,
de plus en plus à l’étroit comme
ses fils se resserraient,
et sa couleur pâlissait,
jusqu’à ce qu’elle fût devenue si petite
qu’elle fût envoyée à l’école.

 

Translations by Agnès Regnier and Frederique Berringer