Monday, November 12, 2018

notes from the other side, part 2

potato farm, gera province, gdr, 1968

we made a campfire together
burning for hours
and the thought never left me
how was it decided
that these teenagers
would end up working on a collective farm
very little music
in their lives
and
who decides this shit

all i could think about
were the kids in pennsylvania
who were sent up to the farm
     reform school
north of pittsburgh
so this was rehabilitation
     east and west

in the group there was a ringleader
stocky baby face
a joke and story teller
the translator edited for our ears
who then
went and retrieved a guitar
brought it into the circle
and handed it off to me

i froze for a minute
before tuning the strings
and then rolling in to
     don't think twice it's all right
by the end of the song
i noticed tears rolling down
from a few eyes
including mine
no translation
needed

--- e b bortz

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