‘CHARLOTTETOWN. P. E. l.

ty how town my bells down) winter

anced he did.

little and small) all ‘ they reaped their same

nly a few

as up they grew summer)

ore by more

by leaf

cried his grief by still

) her

everyones

lid did their dance item) they

slept their dream

1 to explain r forget to remember my bells down)

‘uess

kiss his face)

tide by side

by was

991’

dream their sleep by april.

7 yes. .

dong and ding) spring

d went their came

e.e. cummings

Children, when was\ Napolean Bonaparte born, asks teacher.

A thousand years ago, the children say. A hundred years ago, the children say. Last year, the children say.

No one knows.

Children, what did NapoleanBonaparte do, asks teacher.

Lost a war, the children say. Won a war, the children say. No one knows.

Our butcher had a dog

called Napolean,

says Frantisek.

The butcher used to beat him and the dog died of hunger «

a year ago.

And all the children are now orry for Napolean. —miroslav holub (in translation)

1%?

13

Let me put it in this way:

If I were a German

I could say to myself Mozart & Rilke But I would also have to say Goebbels & Bergen-Belsen

, Word I could not pronounce lightly.

If I were a Frenchman ,

I could say Moliere & Camus

But I would also have to add

Napolean & Petain & The Maginot Line Which would spoil the whole bit.

As a Belgian I would have to reconcile Verhaaren with the Congo,

And as an Englishman subtract

The Boer War & The Playing Fields of Eton From Milton & Yeats ‘

Which might leave me with very little.

As a Russan I’d have to work hard

Fixing my thoughts rigidly on Tolstoy

And trying to forget all about Djerzhinsky,

And if I had to call the US of A my home

It might be more than my selective memory could handle

But being a Canadian by conscious and considered choice I have to remember ndixone & nothing Which in this year of grace Suits me just fine. ’ —georgo : .