Liberties

1. three hundred nameless walk holding names behind their backs bone to bone muscle to muscle let us stretch their memory between our lines 2. saved by death from life name yourself mouth-holes stare 3. outside, it’s not death that whitens with bones in the leaves of trees you look closer but indeed, it is death outside, it’s not death that blooms in the branches of trees you look closer but indeed, it is death outside, it’s not death that sings a birdsong in the white branches in the white blossoms of trees you look closer but indeed, it is death 4. death that has saved so many from life name everyone by name the mouth-hole of death stares 5. not the bones of earth not the blood of heaven not the voices of war we no one’s 6. and who is our memory about everyone and our words about no one about everyone our bones are muscles and blood about no one about everyone hair’s falling out nails split cheeks sink into mouths no one’s 7. bone to bone blood to blood death to death poetry for no one for everyone grips the blood the bones the water in the tap the sand on the temple the fingers the nose the jaw every skull grips the hem like burrs asks to carry it to the better times carry it at least in the mouth of one in the mouth of the three hundred nameless I look closer but indeed, it is a war for no one to everyone Translated by Valzhyna Mort