Asher Reich

PATCHES

The universe has vanished. Only the sun
still remains. In silence
it wakes the emptiness.
Thus Mr. Zilberman dreamt 1944.

An undestroyed past pieced with patches
of forty two years,
after a life-day in the Shoa film.
That night the dream returned -

Water came back to life in a cloud
and fire in ash again revived
Unfinished death
wrapped him like a wounded coat.
He woke midnightmare.

And with confident clarity,
slowly put on
his Treblinka clothes, shaved with care,
made his bed, opened the gas, and
peaceful and sure went back to bed.

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