We Lived Happily during the War

And when they bombed other people’s houses, we

 

protested

but not enough, we opposed them but not

 

enough. I was

in my bed, around my bed America

 

was falling: invisible house by invisible house by invisible house —

 

I took a chair outside and watched the sun.

 

In the sixth month

of a disastrous reign in the house of money

 

in the street of money in the city of money in the country of money,

our great country of money, we (forgive us)

 

lived happily during the war.

Bibliographical info

Ilya Kaminsky, “We Lived Happily during the War” from Deaf Republic. Copyright © 2019 by Ilya Kaminsky. Reprinted by permission of Graywolf Press.

Source: Deaf Republic (Graywolf Press, 2019)

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