Comrade Eberhard greets me
at the Last Resort Gasthaus,
two clicks from the checkpoint,
offering me ein Bier.
He touts the merits of Marxism:
classless society, all being equal,
no matter education or post,
everyone guaranteed work.
Vlad, Joe, and Erich, he says, promote
the harmonious spirit of sharing,
no competition and a unified society,
with little crime and few concerns.
With work, responsibilities, and rewards
shared by one and all,
there’s no envy, jealousy, or ambition,
an efficient distribution of resources.
He asserts they cultivate the growth
and betterment of society,
and defy the reign of the capitalists
that subverts the will of the proletariat.
Then why, I ask, do you need a wall?
You have a Mexican one, he replies.
But ours keeps out intruders,
while yours locks people in.
© 1973, Kenneth Koziol. All rights reserved.
