The Little Box

The little box grows her first teeth
And her little length grows
Her little width her little emptiness
And everything she has

The little box grows and grows
And now inside her is the cupboard
That she was in before

And she grows and grows and grows
And now inside her is the room
And the house and town and land
And the world she was in before

The little box remembers her childhood
And by most great yearning
Becomes a little box again

Now inside the little box
Is the whole world tiny small
It’s easy to put in your pocket
Easy to steal easy to lose

Take care of the little box

—Vasko Popa