The Thirteenth Station

THE THIRTEENTH STATION: RAVENSBRUCK

1
in my name she placed
an offering of dust

an offering of graves
where she lay empty

desolate, lay guilty
for her pleasures

in my name, the lamb
approaching

placed the basin
at her neck

throughout your generations


2
For Rachel, twice:

she turned aside,
I thought,
the wood, the thorns
wounding my thighs


& when they came
& carried her away
he gave them numbers
by the sword

a bell
for those with numbers


Jerome Rothenberg

Posted over on Rothenberg's Homepage