God Hid His Face
Selected Poems of RAJZEL ZYCHLINSKY
 
The Undarkened Window

In the daytime, I see him in the street 
in a dark suit, 
shaved, 
combed, wearing a tie
all night the light shines in his window 
across from my window. 
A survivor 
of Hitler's gas chambers 
sails at night around 
his undarkened window
a wandering ship 
on oceans of darkness, 
and no port 
allows it to enter, 
so it may anchor 
and darken. 
Only in the mornings 
does it go out, 
the sickly yellow light 
in his window.
 

Translated by Barnett Zumoff 

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