We Lived Happily During the War

by Ilya Kaminsky

 

 

 

And when they bombed other people’s houses, we

 

protested

 

but not enough, we opposed them but not

 

enough. I was

 

in my bed, around my bed America

 

was falling: invisible house by invisible house by invisible house.

 

I took a chair outside and watched the sun.

 

In the sixth month

 

of a disastrous reign in the house of money

 

in the street of money in the city of money in the country of money,

 

our great country of money, we (forgive us)

 

lived happily during the war.

 

Extract from Deaf Republic

 

Poet from USA