THE BROKEN LANGUAGE

WHEN YOU LEARN A LANGUAGE AS AN ADULT, WORDS ARE LIKE RAZORS ON YOUR TONGUE. THE SENTENCES YOU SPEAK ARE SO WOUNDED THAT THEY FALL APART WHEN THEY LEAVE YOUR MOUTH.

remember this i well    hagos me fight had    hagos do run    follow i him    field of landlord arrive    sorghum tall me as    clouds sudden come    rain see i hagos run here there    follow him i    find he room to our landlord belong hagos in go    to window go i take look high shelves everywhere books big    now see i why this room close always    no one in come workers told were    hagos wet clothes off take    on chair put he    book lift    this book notice i no words has pictures only    cry want i    never hagos see happy as this    when i sudden voice hear    degas name is    hagos fell book to floor    look for his clothes    no wait say landlord    at book by hagos feet point he    on page open is woman like hagos naked    see say landlord degas this paint    i this painting see in paris    i hereafter painter want become    and wish i woman habesha paint like her me let    eyes of hagos rest on woman in bucket bath landlord hagos hand holding still    but say he landlord no girl from here find i who this accept    all say no    to hagos the landlord say this hagos i teach you paint really no need be literate or speak    to draw but if i paint like this you me let    hagos down head    think landlord hand of hagos go let    sorry say he    how ask this could i of another man    i no do this again    hagos landlord hand back grab    nod he    you me let paint you    hagos nod landlord cry    i cry    i watch hours    as landlord hagos paint    hagos me think learnt paint how    so he me paint    see this nude white me is    hide me black in skin of Europe    us free become think i when hide not art    one day hagos paint me    as me is    black with all wounds