And You Shall Wake Again

By Stig Dalager

68

I woke
and the day was full
of dust

a quarter past eight

the day was full of dust

as in Hiroshima
once

but the dust was ash
in Hiroshima once

and "the thing" from Jornada de la Muerte
Oppenheimer´s wild fantasy
shone violet
on the surface of 7000 degrees

and cupola´s skeletons
acacias´ skeletons
women´s skeletons

glowed white during the nine seconds, it took to
do away with one world
in Hiroshima once

and the man in front of Sumitomo bank became a shadow
in the light
and the boy in the park lost forever his lunch box, which
crumpled up like paper
and pots, boxes, bottles fell from hands
on the atoms´ giant-canvass

and shadows burnt fast to stairs
and stairs burnt fast into earth

and that which was life
buzzed in black insects
and that which was rain
became black
and the late summerday ground up
in gamma rays´ frenetic grinder

as a zombi the boy got lost
in the dark room

in Hiroshima once

and I woke
and it was a quarter past eight
and the day full of
dust.

Translated by Susanne Jorn