Ryszard Krynicki
SOCIALIST REALISM
The ghost of the dove of peace
with a little white flag in its beak
flies back and forth
along the Berlin Wall.
A sniper
keeps it in his sights .
YOU'RE FREE
"You're free," says the guard ,
and the iron gate shuts
this time from this side .
A STOP
During an endless stop
in East Berlin
a young customs officer zealously unscrews
the tin ceiling
in the car's corridor; standing on tiptoe,
he checks for runaways; the top of his uniform
pulls up and reveals a plump
helpless tummy, cuddling
a holster.
