Bolero

By Sándor Weöres. With thanks to László Kollár and István Stéger for the suggestion. Original, including video of Sándor Weöres reciting, here. I used a written copy from a book that had a line break, which I included below, but none of the online versions seem to have the line break.

We all part, from the cover of swaying trees we all part

Under foggy sky we all leave across a barren land

To gather under barren sky, each of us,

Some turn for a last glance, moon-ray steps in their steps,

In the end we all part, even the sun forgets to shine

And we tread behind the stars on heaven's rim,
Over towers, as some turn back and long to see

A fallen apple in a garden, or perhaps a cot
Beside a door, under a red umbrella, but it's late, let's go,

As the bells they toll, so we stroll

Always different behind the stars, on the ringforts of the barren land

All of us, who're together now, we all depart.

Peace

By Sándor Reményik. With thanks to László and Cecília for the suggestion.
Original here.

Some strange tryst of harmony,
Some rarely witnessed order --
A strong balance between forces
Pulling against each other,
A deep conviction from within --
Certain that living is good,
Yet tied in with suffering
That a love pure means becoming God,
And a death fair --
And finding the Expression for all this
Is to behold the majestic Word:
The Word for all this is
Peace.
A tornado may howl,
Bombs may explode: wasted,
Not laying waste.
Inside:
Calm.
Peace starts here.
Inside:
Calm.
God brought you here.
Shalom.

meniscus

not having the intellect
to become and stay
a sane hermit

or the tact
to have the finger
on the pulse

I remain dumbfounded
by analysis
from without this world

and become speechless
at the conversations
within

have you

have you seen me
hiding in soft smelling forest
in the fiddler rousing tune
in that sunset most sublime

well did you turn your nose when
that foul smelling beggar appeared

did you block out when that
boisterous woman shouted through the music hall

and that vegetative patient
made you look away in guilt

but they came
I came
to redeem your
humanity

Mist

Cecília Janzsó: Mist

I live in thick mist,

Mist covers what is afar.

It covers the mountains too,

It shrouds the world.

I touch darkness,

The feel of the invisible is within me.

The stars shine sharply,

If I look at the sky, I see far.

Source

Revolt

It's enough to hear
the tyranny of lies
to make you revolt

"well-poisoners", "criminals",
"thugs", the labels hardly change;

but with so many hues of persuasion,
with friendship, camaraderie,
falling apart,

what can possibly unite
the forces of good?

The common flag,
the rallying cry
should be this:

the unflinching
pursuit of Truth.

And the outspoken understanding:
to not label or write off
a fellow seeker

as so and so
for possessing a different point of view.

Old Joe

well he ain't talked about in the bible much
we know he worked wood, we know he was tough
he wasn't a high priest, blessing at will
but if old Joe won't, then nobody will

he had some fright in his youth
had quite a few to tell you the truth
but he changed his mind and kept God's will
so if old Joe won't, then nobody will

think you can raise a child just like that
then try again, with an army on your back
that's what Joe did, and did with skill
so if old Joe won't, then nobody will

as the wee one got bigger, so did his exploits
but if things got tough, he knew where to get comfort
old Joe didn't mind, he made peace with God's will
so if old Joe won't, then nobody will

sure Mary had her own rough ride
but the one who wept by her side
was told: "don't climb that hill,
cos if you won't make it, then nobody will"

well I don't know how to believe that much
the empty tomb, and all that stuff
but no tale or sermon will change what I feel
that if old Joe won't make it, none of us will


Note: I should add that according to tradition, Saint Joseph died before Jesus' crucifixion, so in this sense the poem is not historical.