Esther Heboyan: BUS OF THE HEART

Click here for the audio segment BUS OF THE HEARTread by Lola Koundakjian.


among the places
where he’s done time
there’s a street
i know
i see
every time i ride
Bus number 43

heading North (to work)
an Eastern lane
marked “Bus”
carries
Bus number 43
to 74, Rue Taitbout
Paris

how unwonted
i ponder
the day of the mustache
up on the fifth floor
the world’s a laughter
will the Manboy
i wonder

will he
or will he not
peek out his Parisian window
stroll out that perfect door
in the slack water of dawn
and no horizon
dear or sleek


enters
every sad bureau
more than sad boutique
a Manboy
to tell
(the same world, unfinished)
that after all

there shall be times when
your heart
shall be
unable to give
your tongue one word of speech
to utter*

– օր պիտի ըլլայ
սիրտդ
մէկ բառ
անգամ
խօսիլ չպիտի ուզէ

այսօր ես քեզի ըսեմ

*William Saroyan, The Human Comedy, 1943.


Used here by permission of the author.