In Tyrannis

From wall to wall - four paces
from door to window - six and one half,
but the window’s much to high
and much too far from my pallet,
to see the least -
just grey sky.
Maybe, it’s seven -
they took my watch
and all my clothes -
and put me in prison wear.

Today I ate their grub,
kohlrabi and mouldy bred,
After this morning’s interrogation
I found my window dark -
not to distinguish day from night;
no sound will reach me through these walls -
my breath is all I hear.
Around the naked bulb above
a fly is buzzing

I do not know what they want,
why all this asking,
these never ending interrogations.
I don’t know anyhow what’s it about.
I do not know what they want…
It can’t be more than a few hours,
when they fetched me tonight
and brought me here -
at gun point -
the way you catch a murderer.

Steps, I can sometimes hear, outside,
when they come to get me
to put me in front of a microphone
and ask me a thousand times the very same -
and bring me back, into my cell.
And then, the steps will go away
and be back after hours -
or maybe just after minutes
and all starts again…

I stopped crying
and my hands do hurt,
a I poured out this soup
and smashed the bowl.
They cut my hair
and beat my one by one,
because I knew nothing to say;
they took my blanket -
it’s freezing cold at night.

Then they blindfold my eyes
and lead me across the corridor
to listen to an audio tape.
I cannot distinguish my voice
from theirs, not anymore…
I’ve lost all feeling for time.
What a bad luck that fly had
to get into this cell with me

7

And they stepped on my glasses
and laughed out loud and loathsomely
When they cut off - with vices -
my wedding ring,
’cause I couldn’t strip it off.
I will confess - no matter what -
to finally end this agony.
I crave for the soup, now,
and they will bring my blanket
yes, I will simply sign.
yes, I will simply sign

by Reinhard Mey,
German Singer-Songwriter