She Was Short, Plump, and Cheerful

She was short, plump and cheerful,
Her large bosom stuck in my boy's memory,
She was one from a line of peasant women
Who got a Warsaw residence permit
By working as a domestic for us.

After she has left,
Snippets of my parents' conversation
Hinted, with regrets, that there was
Someone in her native village
Who wanted to marry her.

She reappeared later
Carrying a swaddled baby
Asking my mother's help
Finding another position
(Hers having been filled).

Without being asked
And without hushing her voice
She said to everyone around:
"The man was no good
But I got a little girl out of it".

I was shocked and indignant--
I knew from novels
How women were supposed
To hide their shame instead
Of flaunting it with pride.

Now I imagine her
Helping with her grandchildren
With all the cheerfulness
She had
Taking care of me.