By T. Yakubovskaya

TV broadcasts hot news
(they're always highly paid):
"This Miloshevich
is the greatest terrorist".
The meanest plan
has been already made, –
The TV-man
is just a venal beast.

And once again
in European sky
jet-vultures go round,
engines roaring.
"Great" countries
Commonwealth's
is heard mad cry
that threat of World War III
is very quickly growing.

All peoples of the world
pricked up their ears,
scared families
in front of TVs clustered.
And the disaster's come –
Belgrade had never known
such a war –
Plants, houses and human fates
were blasted.

TV continues
to broadcast hot news
(announcer is cool):
"Aerodrome was bombed...
hundreds of refugees...
a bridge was blown up...
direct hit in a school.

NATO's hawks
shoot upwards'
through the sky
then swoop like spears –
And Serbian woman's
loud desperate cry
is heard
with a baby in her arms,
in tears.

The day before
my friend refused
to shake my hand...
Last night my wife
has left me out of the blue…
Today under my windows
on the sand
someone has written:
"Murderer, damn you!"

It seemed to me,
the sky above
exploded.
Just last weekend
I was a super ace,
Today all eyes
that look at me
with scorn are
overloaded.

Oh no! No! No!
I never knew
I would have kids to kill.
I merely tried
to carry out
the orders from the Hill.

And two or three
behind my back
bush-leaguer
called the ace.
They are the beasts
who always lack
for simple
human base.

But I… but I...
I only pulled
the trigger,
trying my best,
I didn't kill
no kids, no. babes...
just hit the foe's nest

And only now
I hit upon
that I have played a tiger,
That I myself
appeared to be
that goddamned
killing trigger.

You see?
The dawn is painting th' East.
The Earth is tolling
like the alarm bell.
So tremble,
thugs in th' Pentagon!
He's coming, coming,
the high Priest,
And he will show you
the road to Hell.

Requital's sentence
I can hear:
"The murderer, to Death
you've doomed yourself",
And very soon
you'll utter your last breath".