CARMEN Poem by Maria Stepanova

They still allow us to smoke in the office,
They get it: this kind of work, you have to smoke,
They run after one as he's walking: hey, commander,
The second from the table raises his eyes to the door,
The second one from the trial raises his eyes to a hook,
There the lamp's swaying back and forth, Svetlana, what'll I say
When the earth quakes, and the ground opens its mouth,
And the arrested earn their execution?

The third one stands up, decorated, and he has everything,
But they've called him, and he goes.
"Look for me at dawn", he said to his comrades,
As if he and they are he and someone else
Who's alone, like Job, and waits for him like for a storm.

What's that blue sign on his arm, sister?
That's a powerful sign on his arm, girlfriend.

There it sort of says: beloved,
My darling, take care of yourself, don't use in front of everyone,
Give your parents a call, take time off on Wednesday,
If you don't take it - try to behave yourself,
And if there's anything call, if there's anything call for me.