<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><font style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class="">Dance of the Macabre Mice</font><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><font size="3" class="">“In the land of turkeys in turkey weather” -W. Stevens</font></span><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class="">The president smiles to himself, he loves war</span><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class="">And another one is coming soon.</span><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class="">Each day we can feel the merriment mount</span><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class="">In government offices and TV studios</span><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class="">As our bombers fly off to distant countries.</span><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class="">The mortuaries are being scrubbed clean.</span><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class="">Soon they’ll be full of grim young men laid out in rows.</span><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class="">Already the crowd gurgles with delight</span><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class="">At the bird-sweet deceits, the deep-throated lies</span><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class="">About our coming battles and victories.</span><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class="">Dark-clad sharpshooters on rooftops</span><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class="">Are scanning the mall for suspicious pigeons,</span><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class="">Blind men waving their canes in the air,</span><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class="">Girls with short skirts and ample bosoms</span><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class="">Reaching deep into their purses for a lighter.</span><br style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><br style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Charles Simic</div></div></body></html>