Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Yukio Tsuji

MATSUOKA\'S HOUSE

I was six,
a knapsack on my back.
Every time I set out for school
and passed Matsuoka\' s house
I felt like crying.
It was a very small house
four doors down from mine
and I always felt like turning around
and going home.
Though I was reluctant I didn\'t cry
and I went on to school.

My younger brother was six,
a knapsack on his back.
From the window I watched him
go off to school
wearing his floppy school cap.
I was in junior high.
He walked
slowly away,
slump-shouldered ,
and all at once
started crying out loud.
It was in front of Matsuoka\'s house.

Even now
when I go somewhere
for the first time
Matsuoka\'s house looms up in my memory.
I am suddenly overtaken
by sadness and helplessness.
“I could cry easily
I could easily
cry out”.
So thinking,
I just go along
without a word.

MATSUOKA\'S HOUSE

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MATSUOKA\'S HOUSE

I was six,
a knapsack on my back.
Every time I set out for school
and passed Matsuoka\' s house
I felt like crying.
It was a very small house
four doors down from mine
and I always felt like turning around
and going home.
Though I was reluctant I didn\'t cry
and I went on to school.

My younger brother was six,
a knapsack on his back.
From the window I watched him
go off to school
wearing his floppy school cap.
I was in junior high.
He walked
slowly away,
slump-shouldered ,
and all at once
started crying out loud.
It was in front of Matsuoka\'s house.

Even now
when I go somewhere
for the first time
Matsuoka\'s house looms up in my memory.
I am suddenly overtaken
by sadness and helplessness.
“I could cry easily
I could easily
cry out”.
So thinking,
I just go along
without a word.

MATSUOKA\'S HOUSE

I was six,
a knapsack on my back.
Every time I set out for school
and passed Matsuoka\' s house
I felt like crying.
It was a very small house
four doors down from mine
and I always felt like turning around
and going home.
Though I was reluctant I didn\'t cry
and I went on to school.

My younger brother was six,
a knapsack on his back.
From the window I watched him
go off to school
wearing his floppy school cap.
I was in junior high.
He walked
slowly away,
slump-shouldered ,
and all at once
started crying out loud.
It was in front of Matsuoka\'s house.

Even now
when I go somewhere
for the first time
Matsuoka\'s house looms up in my memory.
I am suddenly overtaken
by sadness and helplessness.
“I could cry easily
I could easily
cry out”.
So thinking,
I just go along
without a word.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère