Giving Directions

It’s good to be a person
from the locality.

It’s good when you’re out
and they come up
to ask you the way.

And if you don’t know it,
to prevent the conversation
from flagging,
you would like to make up something,
invent the way.

But someone else comes by, hears what you’re talking about,
butts in, turning already
towards the right way, shutting his eyes,
and stretching out an arm.

And you, who were before in such a hurry,
listen to the tale of avenues,
junctions and roundabouts.

You’re stuck there speechless, invisible
like a soul that has to
come into the world
and is looking for someone, or something,
to get it an entrance there.