The End and the Beginning BY TRANSLATED BY After every war Someone, broom in hand, someone has to clean up. still recalls the way it was. Things won’t Someone else listens straighten themselves up, after all. and nods with unsevered head. But already there are those nearby Someone has to push the rubble starting to mill about to the side of the road, who will find it dull. so the corpse-filled wagons can pass. From out of the bushes sometimes someone still unearths Someone has to get mired rusted-out arguments in scum and ashes, and carries them to the garbage pile. sofa springs, splintered glass, Those who knew and bloody rags. what was going on here must make way for Someone has to drag in a girder those who know little. to prop up a wall. And less than little. Someone has to glaze a window, And finally as little as nothing. rehang a door. In the grass that has overgrown Photogenic it’s not, causes and effects, and takes years. someone must be stretched out All the cameras have left blade of grass in his mouth for another war. gazing at the clouds. We’ll need the bridges back, and new railway stations. Sleeves will go ragged from rolling them up.
The End and the Beginning BY TRANSLATED BY After every war someone has to clean up. Things won’t straighten themselves up, after all. Someone has to push the rubble to the side of the road, so the corpse-filled wagons can pass. Someone has to get mired in scum and ashes, sofa springs, splintered glass, and bloody rags. Someone has to drag in a girder to prop up a wall. Someone has to glaze a window, rehang a door. Photogenic it’s not, and takes years. All the cameras have left for another war. We’ll need the bridges back, and new railway stations. Sleeves will go ragged from rolling them up. Someone, broom in hand, still recalls the way it was. Someone else listens and nods with unsevered head. But already there are those nearby starting to mill about who will find it dull. From out of the bushes sometimes someone still unearths rusted-out arguments and carries them to the garbage pile. Those who knew what was going on here must make way for those who know little. And less than little. And finally as little as nothing. In the grass that has overgrown causes and effects, someone must be stretched out blade of grass in his mouth gazing at the clouds.
3_vietnam_war_poems.docx