Êîãäà ýòîò ñòàðèê óìåð â ãåðèàòðè÷åñêîé ïàëàòå
äîìà ïðåñòàðåëûõ â ìàëåíüêîì àâñòðàëèéñêîì
ãîðîäêå, âñå ñ÷èòàëè, ÷òî îí óøåë èç æèçíè, íå
îñòàâèâ â íåé íèêàêîãî öåííîãî ñëåäà. Ïîçæå,
êîãäà ìåäñåñòðû ðàçáèðàëè åãî ñêóäíûå ïîæèòêè,
îíè îáíàðóæèëè ýòî ñòèõîòâîðåíèå. Åãî ñìûñë è
ñîäåðæàíèå íàñòîëüêî âïå÷àòëèëè ñîòðóäíèêîâ,
÷òî êîïèè ïîýìû áûñòðî ðàçîøëèñü ïî âñåì
ðàáîòíèêàì áîëüíèöû. Îäíà ìåäñåñòðà âçÿëà
êîïèþ â Ìåëüáóðí. Åäèíñòâåííîå çàâåùàíèå
ñòàðèêà ñ òåõ ïîð ïîÿâëÿëîñü â Ðîæäåñòâåíñêèõ
æóðíàëàõ ïî âñåé ñòðàíå à òàêæå â æóðíàëàõ
äëÿ ïñèõîëîãîâ. Òàêæå íà îñíîâå åãî ïðîñòîãî,
íî êðàñíîðå÷èâîãî ñòèõîòâîðåíèÿ áûëà ñäåëàíà
ïðåçåíòàöèÿ. È ýòîò ñòàðèê, êîòîðûé íèùèì óøåë
èç æèçíè â Áîãîì çàáûòîì ãîðîäêå â Àâñòðàëèè
òåïåðü âçðûâàåò èíòåðíåò ãëóáèíîé ñâîåé äóøè.
(Ïðèâîæó äîñëîâíûé ïåðåâîä íà ðóññêèé.
 àíãëèéñêîì îðèãèíàëå ñòèõ çâó÷èò î÷åíü
ïîýòè÷íî è ïîðàæàåò ãëóáèíîé ìûñëè è
êðàñîòîé ðèôìû).
ÊÀÏÐÈÇÍÛÉ ÑÒÀÐÈÊ ×òî òû âèäèøü ìåäñåñòðà?
×òî òû âèäèøü? ×òî òû äóìàåøü, êîãäà ñìîòðèøü
íà ìåíÿ? Êàïðèçíûé ñòàðèê, ãëóïîâàò...
Ñ íåïîíÿòíûìè óêëàäîì æèçíè, ñ îòñóòñòâóþùèìè
ãëàçàìè? Ïåðåâîäÿùèé ïîïóñòó åäó? Êîãäà òû
êðè÷èøü "Äàâàé ñòàðàéñÿ!" È êàæåòñÿ òåáå, ÷òî îí
íå çàìå÷àåò, ÷òî òû äåëàåøü. Âå÷íî òåðÿþùèé
íîñêè èëè òóôëè? Íè íà ÷åì íå íàñòàèâàþùèé, íî
ïîçâîëÿþùèé òåáå äåëàòü ñ íèì âñå ÷òî óãîäíî?
Äåíü êîòîðîãî íå÷åì çàïîëíèòü, êðîìå êàê
êóïàíèåì è êîðìëåíèåì? Âîò ÷òî òû äóìàåøü?
Ýòî òû âèäèøü? Îòêðîé ãëàçà, ìåäñåñòðà. Òû íå
ñìîòðèøü íà ìåíÿ. ß ñêàæó òåáå, êòî ÿ. Äàæå ñèäÿ
çäåñü òèõî, Ïîä÷èíÿÿñü âàøåìó ðàñïðåäåëåíèþ,
ïèòàÿñü ïî âàøåìó æåëàíèþ. ß âñå åùå ìàëü÷èê
äåñÿòèëåòíèé, æèâóùèé ñ îòöîì è ìàòåðüþ,
Áðàòüÿìè è ñåñòðàìè è ìû âñå ëþáèì äðóã äðóãà.
Ìîëîäîé þíîøà øåñòíàäöàòè ëåò, ñ êðûëüÿìè íà
íîãàõ Ìå÷òàþùèé âñòðåòèòü ëþáîâü ñâîé æèçíè
íà äíÿõ. Æåíèõ, êîòîðîìó ñêîðî äâàäöàòü è ó
êîòîðîãî âûïðûãèâàåò ñåðäöå, Ïîìíÿùèé êëÿòâû,
êîòîðûå îáåùàë èñïîëíèòü. À ñåé÷àñ ìíå
äâàäöàòü ïÿòü è ó ìåíÿ åñòü ñâîé ìàëûø. Êîòîðûé
íóæäàåòñÿ â ìîåì ðóêîâîäñòâå, îõðàíå è äîìå.
×åëîâåê, êîòîðîìó òðèäöàòü! Ìîé ìàëûø áûñòðî
âûðîñ, Ìû ñâÿçàíû äðóã ñ äðóãîì íåðóøèìûìè
óçàìè . À â ñîðîê ìîè ñûíîâüÿ âûðîñëè è
ïîêèíóëè äîì. Íî ìîÿ æåíùèíà ðÿäîì ñî ìíîé è
îíà íå äàåò ìíå ãîðåâàòü. È âîò â ïÿòüäåñÿò ñíîâà
ìàëûøè èãðàþò ó ìîèõ íîã, Îïÿòü ìû ñ äåòüìè,
ìîÿ ëþáèìàÿ è ÿ. Òåìíîòà ñãóñòèëàñü íàäî ìíîé
– ìîÿ æåíà ìåðòâà. ß ñìîòðþ â áóäóùåå è
âçäðàãèâàþ îò óæàñà. Òåïåðü ÿ æèâó ðàäè äåòåé
è ðàäè èõ äåòåé. È ÿ äóìàþ î ãîäàõ…. î ëþáâè,
êîòîðàÿ ó ìåíÿ áûëà. Òåïåðü ÿ ñòàðèê… è æèçíü
æåñòîêàÿ âåùü. Èçäåâàÿñü, çàñòàâëÿåò ñòàðîñòü
âûãëÿäåòü ãëóïî. Òåëî äðÿõëååò è ðàçâàëèâàåòñÿ,
âåëè÷èå è ñèëà óõîäÿò. È òåïåðü íà òîì ìåñòå
êàìåíü, ãäå îäíàæäû áûëî ñåðäöå. Íî âíóòðè
ýòîé äðÿõëîé îáîëî÷êè âñå åùå æèâåò ìîëîäîé
÷åëîâåê, È ñíîâà è ñíîâà ñåðäöå îò ñòóêîâ
ïóëüñèðóåò. ß ïîìíþ âñþ ðàäîñòü, ÿ ïîìíþ âñþ
áîëü. È ÿ ëþáëþ è æèâó! Â ýòîé æèçíè êàê ïðåæäå.
ß äóìàþ î ãîäàõ, êîòîðûõ áûëî òàê ìàëî è
êîòîðûå ïðîëåòåëè òàê áûñòðî. È ÿ ñîãëàøàþñü ñ
óïðÿìûì ôàêòîì, ÷òî íè÷òî íå ìîæåò
ïðîäîëæàòüñÿ âå÷íî. Òàê îòêðîéòå ãëàçà âàøè ,
ëþäè! Îòêðîéòå è ïîñìîòðèòå. Íå êàïðèçíûé
ñòàðèê! Ïîñìîòðèòå âíèìàòåëüíåé è óâèäüòå ÌÅÍß!
Âñïîìíèòå îá ýòîì ñòèõå â ñëåäóþùèé ðàç, êîãäà
âñòðåòèòåñü ñî ñòàðûì ÷åëîâåêîì! È ïîäóìàéòå î
òîì, ÷òî ðàíî èëè ïîçäíî âû òîæå áóäåòå òàêèì
êàê îí èëè îíà! Ñàìûå ëó÷øèå è ñàìûå êðàñèâûå
âåùè â ýòîì ìèðå íåëüçÿ óâèäåòü èëè ïîòðîãàòü.
Îíè äîëæíû ÷óâñòâîâàòüñÿ ñåðäöåì!
Îðèãèíàë ïîýìû íà àíãëèéñêîì
Cranky Old Man What do you see nurses? . . .. . .
What do you see? What are you thinking .. . when
you're looking at me? A cranky old man, . . . . . .not
very wise, Uncertain of habit .. . . . . . . .. with faraway
eyes? Who dribbles his food .. . ... . . and makes no
reply. When you say in a loud voice . .'I do wish you'd
try!' Who seems not to notice . . .the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . .. . . A sock or shoe? Who,
resisting or not . . . ... lets you do as you will, With
bathing and feeding . . . .The long day to fill? Is that
what you're thinking?. .Is that what you see? Then open
your eyes, nurse .you're not looking at me. I'll tell you
who I am . . . . .. As I sit here so still, As I do at your
bidding, .. . . . as I eat at your will. I'm a small child of
Ten . .with a father and mother, Brothers and
sisters .. . . .. . who love one another A young boy of
Sixteen . . . .. with wings on his feet Dreaming that
soon now . . .. . . a lover he'll meet. A groom soon at
Twenty . . . ..my heart gives a leap. Remembering, the
vows .. .. .that I promised to keep. At Twenty-Five,
now . . . . .I have young of my own. Who need me to
guide . . . And a secure happy home. A man of
Thirty . .. . . . . My young now grown fast, Bound to
each other . . .. With ties that should last. At Forty,
my young sons .. .have grown and are gone, But my
woman is beside me . . to see I don't mourn. At Fifty,
once more, .. ...Babies play 'round my knee, Again,
we know children . . . . My loved one and me. Dark
days are upon me . . . . My wife is now dead. I look at
the future ... . . . . I shudder with dread. For my young
are all rearing .. . . young of their own. And I think of the
years . . . And the love that I've known. I'm now an old
man . . . . . . .. and nature is cruel. It's jest to make old
age . . . . . . . look like a fool. The body, it crumbles .. ..
. grace and vigor depart. There is now a stone . . . where
I once had a heart. But inside this old carcass . A young
man still dwells, And now and again . . . . . my battered
heart swells I remember the joys . . . . .. . I remember the
pain. And I'm loving and living . . . . . . . life over again. I
think of the years, all too few . . .. gone too fast. And
accept the stark fact . . . that nothing can last. So open
your eyes, people .. . . . .. . . open and see. Not a cranky
old man . Look closer . . . . see .. .. . .. .... . ME!!
