It would take a stronger translator than me to create French and Spanish versions of this poem, so English only this time. The poem itself was written in New York, in Stuyvesant Town, some years ago and was published in 4 billion eggs.

Among other things, the poem reflects a continuing interest in narrow poems (which may, inter alia, make for easier cellphone reading). 4 billion eggs includes several other such poems, including “Oh my, oh my.”

Yun-Fan was at that time a student, a very serious student, at New York University. I liked her, and I like too this photo I took on a Paris sidewalk in 2025, though its horizontality contrasts with Yun-Fan’s slender length.

But oh it was

for Yun-Fan

As she spoke
Her thin legs long
Turned and joined
And spread apart
And knotted again
And then unwound
As toward me she
Then turned around
Herself unraveling
Reuniting that
Revealing this
And then again
Trying hiding.

What she wore
I can’t recall
As there remained
So much to see
Of this new friend
And many feelings
About our there
This day meeting
Oh yes people
Being people
Bound by fears
And extending too
A little brave.

So said her legs
And the face I gave
To her turning there
Revealing, hiding
As we talked
What didn’t we say
Too much too little
I’m afraid
But oh it was
A lovely day

— Poem and photograph by William Eaton.