The Animal
Juan Gelman
from
The Wages Of The Profane
(Paris, Geneva, Mexico, New York, 1984-1992)
Translated by Hardie St. Martin

I live with an obscure animal.
At night he eats anything I do during the day.
During the day he eats anything I do at night.
The only thing he doesn't eat is my memory.  He gets a rise
from pointing out my smallest errors and fears.
I don't let him sleep.
I am his obscure animal.