Soaked Pacemakers Poem by Andrei Sen-Senkov

instead of crosses round their necks
hang
tiny gas chambers of silver
gleaming golden guillotines
bits of gulag barbed wire in amber
shards of shrapnel expertly shaped by jewelers
small gallows with silken nooses
platinum racks
spanish boots incrusted with diamonds

all of these objects resemble the falling digits
of the cold number rain
slapping the heart's cheeks
on auto-redial


Translation: Ainsley Morse