The morn’s frost eats itself
Into the bones of the poet
Sylvester drives his Ford
With steady experience
From Vienna to Ptrcalka
On the western side of the
Danube.
Finally Leberfinger restaurant
Where 1944/45 SA-men from
Vienna murdered Hungarian
Jews forced to labour to
Exhaustion
In cold blood…
Although the war was over
And Russian troops advanced.
Next stop:
Ptrcalka cemetery with an
International commemorative
Service
Ambassadors to address the
Assembled crowd.
The Austrian ambassador
Stated the sad fact that her
Her own compatriots-members
Of the Nazi SA
Had killed exhausted Jewish
Labourers as the meanest thing
To do
As the war was over.
The Israeli ambassador spoke
About Hate and added a
Quotation by Eli Wiesel:
Hate is not the opposite of
Love
But indifference…
That had supported the killing
These human beings and had
Contributed to the catastrophe
Of the Holocaust.
Further addresses followed by
The Hungarian ambassador
And also NGO-heads and
Organizers of this event.
Mr T tired out emotionally
That affected his physical
Standing power.
In spite of it he asked the poet
To help him walk up to the
Monument and lay a stone
For the murdered.
Then off we went.
Mr T with Sylvester and
The Poet to a Chinese restaurant
Called Jasmin.
The food being not prepared
The way Mr T was used to
But his complains were
Ignored and Sylvester was
Even insulted not wishing
To pay. Not so.
At least some compensation
Would have been in order
Especially as the owner had
Accepted a gift of art prints
By Mr T at his last visit.
The team of new staff only
Fanned more aggro.
Let’s go. The poet said and
Handed his share to Sylvester
Who paid the bill.
Mr T mumbled misgivings.
Let’s have coffee the poet
Said and forget about it.
Sylvester drove to the arts
Center close to the university.
At the garden terrace they
All ordered beer.
The exhibition hall where an
Existing exhibition had been
Hosted
Was a roomy and well-lit space
However the poet wasn’t sure
If it was suitable for what
Mr T had in mind.
Prof Bobes had talked Slovakian
To Mr T and Sylvester
And with some German to the
Poet.
All will be well?
Who knows? Who knows?
zoltanzelan. ZJG-POetry’19.
