Balagan

Pull the jacket straight,
smooth the wrinkles;
flash a smile for the camera -
hide the balagan in your head.

Smooth the wrinkles
on your brow. To
hide the balagan in your head,
think of summertime and daisies.

On your brow two
flies dance courtship;
think of summertime and daisies
the tickle becomes the torture.

Flies dance courtship
round the corpses;
the tickle becomes the torture
- if the survivor lies still.

Round the corpses
guns are silent,
if the survivor lies still,
unblinking, by the boots.

Guns are silent:
there lies Yossi,
unblinking, by the boots:
the deadly vapour is neater.

Pile the jackets up neat.
smooth the banknotes.
Flash of gold from the bridgework,
hide the balagan in your head.