In The Wax Museum At Hamburg

Full of blocky majesty, arrogant, dock-tailed, German princes glower at the Russian communist. All the presidents, chancellors in their different kinds of gut- meanness look darkly out each his own kind, his caste, and all their crooked vulgarity is in that. These are the wounders of life. They warped it, suffocated it, and so they're immortalized here- or, no, they're waxed. In the midst of these grown fat these greasy fools, and emaciated, malicious monsters how did you fall, Schiller? How about you, Mozart? in luminous meadows; Should have come down among deep-woods flowers. But you're here- my old buddies, Enemies- the whole damned lot. The enemies' looks are trying To kill me, but it's not so bad, This not being liked by Bismarck, and surely not By Hitler. I keep looking, and gradually I see, Among them like fatal ghosts, the shaped, candle-stick figures Of enemies still living. Yes. Still living. There's one premier, There's another one, and he's No shining example and he's not either. But maybe they are examples: yes, but of the mean, the cruel, the phony... I'd like to get them here themselves, Into the wax museum by the scruff of the neck, By the seat of the britches! It'd be great To arrange 'em according to their crimes- And let 'em be buried in wax as ugly as they are! I tell you, the wax museum is wild For more bums and bastards! Me, I'm sick and tired of 'em! Sons-of-bitches Have been lying to us too damned long! It's time to drown 'em alive- Right! In wax! Let wax plaster their mouths Shut, let it stop their hands where they are and let them stand Still, still very still And dead like good little children very still, very Obedient. Right here and now I'm coming out with my program For revolution! I call on EVERYONE! Drag 'em from their platform, And while you're doing it, laugh and whistle As loud as you can! Go get 'em, People! Let's have a little more Pure rage! It's time to pull down all this trash From their easy chairs like pulling nails and being crazy About pulling nails! It's time, under hot bright lights, To drag down out of their balconies This collection of stupid faces Like carp from scummy green pools. It's time, it's really time at last To get rid of junk like this! Into the wax museum Of liars with these priests of a lousy temple! People! SAY IT! Don't clam up! Into the wax museum With all heads of state Who're headless! And if somebody lies, even if he does it in a new way, then Stuff his gullet with wax! Into the wax museum! There's still a lot of bullshit around, And plenty of liars... Hey, BEES! Get off your ass! Wax, little brothers! We need it! Translated by James Dickey with Anthony Kahn