Paper Bridges: Selected Poems of Kadya Molodowsky

Little Shoes

Little Shoes Come and look at this high hill, Come and look at this deep vale, A cobbler's sitting on the hill With his hammer and his awl. The cobbler punches with the awl, He pounds the hammer quickly, A-one and a-two, And a-one and a-two, Small shoes appear there magically. The cobbler says: —Go, little shoes! The shoes go off wherever he sends, To the place where the world ends, The little shoes go everywhere The cobbler orders, anywhere. The little shoes go seeking bread, The little shoes go seeking salt, The little shoes go everywhere To bring the cobbler whatever he wants. Once, as the shoes pass by a gate, They stop and wait. The right shoe knocks for the first time. The left shoe knocks a second time, A small door opens up for them. There a child sits, all alone, Barefoot, naked, on a stone.54 201 ^nsm px 202 The little shoes stand stock-still there, No more will they go anywhere. The cobbler, high upon the hill Waits and waits, He's waiting, still. 203 >-a x BDX:I yxax* x BVna •n§ -ijn px rn n oxn ^T TX , ^ 3 X 1 TX fx rn xD^xs^ x px rynx px t rn .mByiDix !?D^m OXT BDIT > i pyn^x pr ^-I^ oxi px pynx nxi BW I ]it •n§ ijn px ra 204 ...