The language of the Little Holy Boy

has no words for “beauty” or “friendship.”

 

“Beauty” is “a day’s looking-at in an hour.”

“Friend” is “blood not-blood.”

 

I asked him why.

 

“English words,” he told me, “make you crazy.

It is unfortunate.”

 

So I asked him why he didn’t teach me his language,

and why he spoke crazy English himself.

 

He said his language has no word for “why.”

I asked him why.

 

“English words,” he told me, “make you crazy.

It is unfortunate.”

 

So I asked him why he didn’t teach me his language,

and why he spoke crazy English himself.

 

He said his language has no word for “why.”