das erste Mal

I gave a German a hug,
and an S.S. a kiss on both cheeks,
first the left followed by the right -
it was an evil
that had not yet been forgiven
and was covered by a smile
it was as real to me then
as it is now.

I laughed with him,
smiled with him,
ate sweet ripe pitted cheeries in his kitchen,
and said sweet things like Gute Appetite
and at New Years said ein gutes neues Jahr.

In the sitting room there was a picture,
he in his uniform and more of
other times at war.
I looked at this and looked away
smiled and met his face.

In Sommer
he tended his garten
and spoke in a dilaect
only known to him and his region
and not yet to me.

In Amerika jetzt,
a cold chill fills my heart,
a naive time passed -
when I thought all
the word was good.