The Big House in Erie

I was invited to my boss’ house

I was young so young back then,

Perhaps twenty-five; l lived in Erie,

Pennsylvania, 1973

I hung around with his nephews

And when I saw his big house, it

Somewhat startled me: made of:

Red-brick, smoothly mortared

In-between: a few chimneys on

Each side of the house, Victorian;

It was a big, a huge house—windows

Everywhere: all around, up, down;

To a poor kid like me, my eyes

Were mortified, they were shaken:

(Hands fidgeting, legs weakening)—

I had to catch my breath.

When I walked inside, my boss was

Surprise, yet greeted me well, cheerful

I think he noticed I felt a bit

Uncomfortable (I was brought up

In an extended family where two bedrooms

Fitted four families); so, I smiled the best

I could, looking about the house

It was to me: Buckingham Palace.

When I was fifty-five

Years old, yes, a quarter century plus, had

Passed, I owned several big houses, one

Bigger than his;

And never did I once forget that big house,

In Erie.

Note from the Author: While locked out of my house today, sitting in my car, in my garage, having two hours to throw to the wind until I have to pick up my wife, this big old house in Erie come to mind

IN SPANISH

Translated by: Nancy Peñaloza

La casa grande en Erie (1973)

Me invitaron a la casa de mi jefe

Entonces yo era muy joven,

Quizás veinticinco; yo vivía en Erie,

Pensilvania, 1973

Deje pasar el tiempo con sus sobrinos

Y cuando vi su gran casa, esto

Un tanto me asustó: hecho de:

Ladrillo-Rojo, suavemente enfoscado

Entre: algunas chimeneas en

Cada lado de la casa, Victoriana;

Esta era una grande, una enorme casa-ventanas

Por todas partes: todo alrededor, arriba, abajo;

Para un pobre muchacho como yo, mis ojos

Estaban avergonzados, ellos fueron sacudidos:

(Manos moviéndose nerviosamente, piernas debilitadas) -

Tuve que coger mi respiración.

Cuando caminé adentro, mi jefe estaba

Sorprendido, sin embargo me saludó bien, alegre

Pienso que él notó que me sentía un poquito

Incómodo (yo fui educado

En una familia amplia donde dos dormitorios

Empotraban cuatro familias); Así pues, Sonreí lo mejor

Que pude, mirando la casa

Esto era para mí: el Palacio De Buckingham.

Cuando yo tuve cincuenta y cinco

Años de edad, sí, un cuarto de siglo más, había

Pasado, yo fui dueño de varias casas enormes, uno

Más grande que el de él;

Y nunca jamás olvidé esa casa grande,

En Erie.