Un nostro Associato tedesco - lo scrittore e poeta Dirk-Uwe Becker - ci ha inviato alcuni testi che riguardano l'attuale drammatica situazione in Ucraina.
Questi testi sono datati - in anni molto precisi per la recente storia, il 2011 e il 2014, l'anno dei fatti noti con il nome della storica Piazza Maidan - ma sono ahimè molto attuali.
Ho scelto di riportare la traduzione in inglese e non l'originale in tedesco, che è a disposizione di chi lo desideri.
Grazie a Dirk-Uwe e un sincero augurio all'Ucraina, ed in particolare al PEN Ucraino, il cui Presidente, il famoso scrittore Andrei Kurkov, è un mio amico personale.
Eccovi i testi:
Dead people of Maydan
Dead people of Maydan
are resting as pebble stones
at the beach of Sewastopol
their tears
were pressed into the subsurface
by the paw
of the russian bear
spiny roses grow
where the soil
will be moisturized
by it
©Dirk-Uwe Becker, 15.11.2011
translation into Polish: Malgorzata Polrola, 2016
Song to Ukraine
don't cry, my dearest
Ukraine honey
I love everlasting
your painful body
covered by foreign lordships
and violated by the
overestimation of
Ras Putins sense
who survived
the Romanow era
your breasts got exhausted
by former lovers
your lumbar got pregnant
by misdirected minds
your hands and feet
got eroded by
black Russian Mambas
your beautiful eyes
got blank by the harm
you saw
don't cry, my dearest
Ukraine honey
I love everlasting
your cry for freedom
and independence
I love everlasting
your sad song for
the dead by whom
the Maydan place
will be lined
I love everlasting
the resistance
which will rest and grow
still darkness will be overcome
and mankind will allow reason
to prevail
© Dirk-Uwe Becker, 13.04.2014
Greed! Power! War!
„This isn‘t feasible!“ Death waves the proposal around. Blank faces from the other participants around the table. „Why not?“ asks Greed, eyes sparkling with restrained agitation. „Because it destroys the basis of our business“, replies Death. „A rolling stone gathers no moss.“ War injects into the discussion. He had been polishing his sabre and tightens the twisted ammo belts. „Our basis of business is profit“, he adds, and hands out a sheet with the newest stock market analysis. „as you can see, the turnover and profit has risen exponentially in the months after the war in Iraq!“ Greed nods in agreement. „Turnover isn‘t everything“, mumbles Death and rubs his skull. „There has to be a balance between the living and the dying. If one side wins outright, that balance is destroyed.“ „Death is whining again!“ sighs Greed and stretches herself so that her slim stockinged thighs lead War to stick out his medal-studded chest. „Greed is right“, he states. „Greed is always right!“ says Power, an elegant, austere lady dressed in an expensive pinstripe suit. „What are we arguing about anyway?“ she goes on. „ I thought we had agreed that we four have the potential and the means to rule the world. All humans are afraid of Death. They are scared of War’s brutality. In their Greed they are blind to what is good for them. And in anticipation of a tete-a-tete with me, Power, you can get them to agree to anything.“ The participants mutter in agreement. „Greed has gathered more or less all the Rich around her“ .War says. „And Power has so far managed to get into bed with any politician, man or woman“, states Power. „The Poor and Powerless run en masse straight into Death’s arms.“, says War. „So, what’s the problem then?“ asks Greed.
„War“, says Death. „War is the problem!“ Loud sabre-rattling implies War’s disagreement. His chest stretches so much that some of his medals pop off and clank onto the table. Face red with wrath, he half raises himself and glares menacingly at Death. Greed, who likes to seduce but avoids escalation wherever possible, lets her silicone-enhanced breasts bob up and down and attracts Death’s attention. She knows that despite all his harshness, War is unable to resist her and could be led (astray) like a willing lamb. „We will continue this discussion later!“ says War, dropping back into his armchair while lustily ogling Greed. „I don‘t understand you either!“ says Power to Death. In confrontations, she prefers to let Greed and War take the lead, before joining the action. She likes to remain in the background. „Humans are like blow-flies. They reproduce unchecked and then eagerly follow one of us – except for Death of course.“ Power says glancing at the scythe-bearer. „In that case, we have to intervene, and War has always resolved this problem to our full satisfaction. In the age of modern medicine, you, Death, are overwhelmed. Soon your charges will outlive you.“ War breaks into deafening laughter over this joke. „Congratulations, Power. Finally someone has found the right words.“
„You are so naive, don‘t
you see where this is leading?“ asks Death, but reaps only blank stares from
the others. „War will use his technically more and more refined methods to burn
up my clients down to the last one. Then all we have left is the Rich and the
Politicians. The Rich have no one they can profit from anymore to become even
richer. Their basis for living will be irrevocably destroyed. The Politicians,
in turn, would have no one to lie to or deceive, and no one to vote for them.
So, their existence is also under threat!“ Everyone agrees. „Death is right!“
replies Power thoughtfully. „Maybe we should....“ „Rubbish!“ counters War.
„This is just the ramblings of a rattling bag of bones! So far
you have all
fared very well with me. When Power was still young, she practised with me in
the sandbox. Greed made sure that I was able to obtain more and more
sophisticated toys. Admit it – without me you would not even exist anymore!“
His chest swells with pride as War looks around the table. But even Greed has
become doubtful. „It’s true what War says.“ she states. „But Death’s objections
are also right!“ She pulls her bra up to show War that she doesn‘t fully agree
with his actions anymore and deprives him the view of her slim legs by placing
them under the table. „What use is it to rule the world, when there is no one
left in it?“ she asks the group. „Do you want to kick me out?“ Death asks
incredulously. „No, no“, Power injects quickly, and gives him a perfect smile.
„But you have to agree that Death’s arguments are not unfounded!“ War’s face
becomes distorted with rage. His eyes gleam dangerously red. In one smooth
movement, he pulls his sabre, leans across the table and
slices off Death’s head at the first vertebra. Like a white pool ball that is
shot off the table, it crashes onto the floor and rolls right in front of
Greed’s feet. „And now who is right?“ War asks with bared teeth, sheathing his
sabre. Shocked silence fills the room. Greed gains her composure first, throws
off her diamond studded heels and forces her right toe into the open mouth of
the skull. With one elegant movement that reveals part of her thigh and leading
to War approvingly smacking his lips, she catapults the white skull onto the
table. „OK, so that’s taken care of then“, she says, and then, more to herself
„strange how skulls always have this slight grin, no matter how joyful or
grumpy the individuals were during their lifetimes.“ „Was that really necessary?“
Power asks and stares sternly at War. Somewhat subdued, he replies „He didn‘t
have to provoke me with his constant grin!“ „Death is dead. Long live Death!“
proclaims Greed and points to the table. The skull begins to move. The mandible
opens and closes and almost indistinct words escape the hollow sphere. „I
warned you“, says the skull and moves its jaws. „War will be your ruin. He eyes
Greed and would rape her without a second thought, if the opportunity arose.
Power, who in her business suit pretends to be the innocent elegant lady, has a
long-standing secret affair with War, which Greed does not know about. War
wanted to drag me into this menage-a-trois when I found out his secret. Now he
has left me headless at the moment, but be honest, I am the beginning and the
end. You all are only milestones on my path.“ Thus, the jaws close and the
skull falls silent. The gathered trio is speechless for a moment. „How
philosophical“, Power remarks. „You soulless son of Satan!“ Greed spews at War.
„You keep looking at me, pile riches on me, and behind my back you give
yourself to Power! Gross!“ War shrugs his shoulders. „I just gave each of you
what you desired. What’s wrong with that?“ Greed salivates with jealousy and is
close to scratching out Power’s eyes. In contrast, Power has put on her most
innocent smile and replies stoically. „What could I, a mere woman, have done
against the wooing of War, who is such a strong man?“ Only Death, or more
precisely, the bony skull on the table, remains silent. With a slight, almost
cynical smile around his jaw, he follows the quarrel of the three others. Time,
my secret lover, works for me, he says quietly to himself. So all is well. As
always.
©Dirk-Uwe Becker, 5.11.2011
Translation into English (2014) by Jessica G. Bremer:
Translation into Polish (2018) by Malgorzata Polrola.
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