Bertolt Brecht War Poems
- 1. A Worker Reads History
Who built the seven gates of Thebes?
The books are filled with names of kings.
Was it the kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone?
And Babylon, so many times destroyed.
... - 2. From A German War Primer
AMONGST THE HIGHLY PLACED
It is considered low to talk about food.
The fact is: they have
Already eaten.
... - 3. Questions From A Worker Who Reads
Who built Thebes of the seven gates?
In the books you will find the names of kings.
Did the kings haul up the lumps of rock?
And Babylon, many times demolished
... - 4. To Those Born After
I
To the cities I came in a time of disorder
That was ruled by hunger.
... - 5. Not What Was Meant
When the Academy of Arts demanded freedom
Of artistic expression from narrow-minded bureaucrats
There was a howl and a clamour in its immediate vicinity
But roaring above everything
... - 6. To Posterity
1.
Indeed I live in the dark ages!
A guileless word is an absurdity. A smooth forehead betokens
...
