First The Dog

to Laika

So first the faithful dog will go

and after it a pig or ass

through the black grass will beat a track

along it will the first man steal

who with iron hand will smother

on his glass brow a drop of fear

so first the dog honest mongrel

which has never abandoned us

dreaming of earthly lamps and bones

will fall asleep in its whirling kennel

its warm blood boiling drying away

but we behind the dog and second

dog which guides us on a leash

we with the astronauts’ white cane

awkwardly we bump into stars

we see nothing we hear nothing

we beat with our fists on the dark ether

on all the wavelengths is a whining

everything we can carry on board

through the cinders of dark worlds

name of man scent of apple

acorn of sound quarter of colour

should all be saved for our return

so we can find the route in an instant

when the blind dog leading us

barks at the earth as at the moon