When the world at last is quiet, and finally
those staying up all night talking and spreading lies
shut up, the whole stupidity and waste of the world sinks,
with a final groan of despair, and is gone,
every person, who endlessly in their minds think of themselves as kind and worthy,
those hypocrites gone, too, as well as the pitiful and humble, unable to sleep,
expressions, “it’s not too shabby,” phrases, “late at night last night at the station,”
writing exercises, gone, gone, gone,
the words “anxiety,” “psychology,” “mystery,” “boss,” “work,”
poof—forgotten as if they never existed—
the dogs chewing, the wild and disturbing hunting and slaughter of nature,
the self-righteous poetry, oh when at last it all shuts up,
nothing to say, no pitiful wants and desires, no more hunger that it sag and droop and feed and go on,
the whole writhing mess silent at last, life humming and moaning,
oh God shut up, the world (stupid word, “world”) able to nap peacefully at last,
I shall rejoice; even Mozart will rejoice,
you don’t need to defend anything with all those notes! sleep, sleep Mozart,
rest, oh God we are so tired, no, I never really loved you,
alright, alright, maybe for a time, but please, military, murder scenes, cop shows, odd taste in clothing,
just end, enough, enough, I don’t want to travel, I don’t care what it looks like in Zanzibar
or Korea or Africa, quaint New England, white fences,
blue houses, liquor stores, good bye, good bye, shut up, shut up, yes, yes, good night,
children growing up too fast, bye, bye, time to be quiet now,
I didn’t realize how much I wanted this, be quiet,
just be quiet now.