Hyner & Rothenberg: An Exchange II

Image borrowed from Bing

VIENNA & THE GERMAN TIDINESS
Stefan Hyner

Mr. Shirach, Gauleiter of Vienna
-- perl of the 3. Reich --, alone
had 60000 sent
…………………..to the extermination camps
…………………..dirt under the carpet, ground
into imperial oak floors

His mother had taught him
how to keep the house clean, but at night
he smelt the tears in the Danube
…………drying out his soul
……………………………a hairless broom remained
so we take an iron shovel to hell
to extinguish the fire

THE GAULEITER & THE RABBIT
after Hyner and Picasso
Jerome Rothenberg

“the eye in erection”
knows fear
…………a closed door
between him & the devil
not me
………..& that cry in extremis
a black fire burning us
night after night
………..“I am bagged” says the uncle
who is there in my dream
but escapes me
…………………………..& sleeping
I only can run down the stairs
at the back of his house
can relive his dream without hope
with the dead always present
the wonder of “someone is here”
“he is calling your name”
“he will kill you”

Posted over on Poems & Poetics