ARYAN KAGANOF : MIDSUMMER IN THE DEATH CAMP (FOR BO CAVEFORS)

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June 20, 2008
midsummer in the death camp (for bo cavefors)
Filed under: kagapoems — ABRAXAS @ 10:03 pm


it was a wonderful night in the death camp
everybody wore makeup
even the very old men had their faces white with powder
and their lips so thickly painted that they left left lipstick traces all over the ground when they tried to kiss the boots of the young virgins

the music playing was harsh but not all that distantly related to what used to be called folk
the instruments were bones pulled out of the incinerator
that were scratched rhythmically with necklaces made out of teeth in order to provide a beat for the melodies that were stretched out on hair

occasionally a solemn faced virgin would swell with delight when she recognized a familiar tune, or some teeth from a friend, and then, briefly, she would try to jigbut most of the virgins were too weak for that

it was a wonderful night in the death camp
the weather was fine and even the stench wasn’t as bad as usual,
considering the temperature
unfortunately i had to work
i was editing letters that my fellow inmates were sending to their mothers and fathers back home
making sure that they weren’t trying to falsify any evidence about the conditions we lived under
making sure that nothing hostile was written about our glorious leaders

although i felt sad not to be taking part in the festivities
i was secretly proud of myself
after all i had volunteered
to join the fra
after all
i’ve got nothing to hide
do you?

Copyright©Aryan Kaganof 2008