Selected Poetry / Избранное (англ.)

After we arrived in Kazan (our village was only sixty miles away), the driver took me to Hay Market where he walked around, shouting: В«Who will agree to care after this child? Who will take this child?В» A man came out from the crowd and took me from the driver. He promised to look after me for an indefinite amount of time and brought me to his home.

I now see my life in his house, as though looking at it through half-open eyes.

For instance, I remember how once, when my eyes were hurting during some illness, I was taken to an old woman, and she dripped sugary water in my eyes.

I resisted and tried to fend her off.

Let me write something now about the life of my new parents. The name of the man who became my adopted father was Muhammedvali, and my adopted mother’s name was Gaziza. They lived in Kazan’s New Quarter. My father either sold stuff at the flea market or was a tanner – I don’t remember it all that well. My mother spent the whole day sewing embroidered skullcaps for wealthy men.

When mother took the skullcaps to the Hay Market or visited the homes of some rich people on business she sometimes took me with her.

I looked at the fancy decor of the rich houses, the large mirrors covering the walls from the floor to ceiling, the clocks with chimes that sounded like church bells, the huge organs the size of large chests, and I thought that people here lived in paradise. During one such visit to a wealthy bai[6 - Bai, in Tatar, means ««a rich man»».

], I saw a peacock strutting in front of the house. His tail, adorned with jewels and gold, sparkled in the sun. I was stunned with admiration.

Since both my father and mother had work, I didn’t go hungry while living with them.

Sometimes I went to the bazaar in Tashayak[7 - Tash Ayak literally means, in Tatar, ««a Stone leg»». This was the name of a place under the walls of the Kazan Kremlin with a bazaar trading there from medieval times.

] with my mother and I looked hungrily at various toys lying on the counters. I was jealous of the boys who were having fun riding on scooters or rocking on wooden horses.

I also wanted to mount a wooden horse, but I didn’t have any money. I was afraid to ask mother to give me some, and she didn’t guess.

Then I would return home, getting my fill of other people’s joy.