A Jew, a dead one
a leaf, a red one
surprised once more after fifty years
shrubbery can’t offer ripped body bags
protection against Scar and Shere Khan

The mamas and the papas sing
of brown and grey for the innocent
trying hard to wake the dead
falling leaves often let us forget
how the autumn storms

It’s just raining water
leaves fall anew
transplant roses without gloves
blood on the hands
wears away faster than callouses

Wrapped in barbed wire
Charlie checks out of the grim news
feeds it to the crackling fire
behind a fallen wall
a mother’s heart beats to the night blues

If only the Arabs would love their children
more than they hate us, Golda sighed,
yet strawberries have the wrong colour
don’t hit as hard as pumpkins
and Hanukkah is still far away

Train takes a wrong turn
EU parliamentarians end up in Disneyland
A leaf, a dead one
a seasonal concert ends
once more with a dissonant.

Translation: Trevor Scarse