Rotes Wien
A Poem
(A cedar tree, symbol of Lebanon, planted in Vienna in 1815 for the Congress of Vienna, in the home of Bruno Kreisky, former Chancellor of Austria and friend of the Global South. Thanks to the Bruno Kreisky Forum for International Dialogue for hosting our conversation about the world order today)
Wer will, dass die Welt so bleibt, wie sie ist, der will nicht, dass sie bleibt
Whoever wants the world to remain as it is, does not want it to remain
(Erich Fried, 1921-1988).
The café spoons still ring as though no century had passed,
Though windows once applauded when the swastika went past.
The boulevards remember more than marble dares confess;
Their elegance is tailored from catastrophe and dress.
Yet Graz has raised a Communist where others preached despair,
A red vote through the mountains, clean as unexpected air.
History never marches to the drum that victors choose;
It keeps its rhymes for those who know how often powers lose.
Vienna,
3 July 2026
Thank you, Vijay, for all the poems which have reached us from places far and near, depending on our own locations.
You reflect on the Zeitgeist of the world and express your findings so well through the small experiences of an observant and knowledgeable traveler.
A much appreciated poetic addition to your valuable academic work.
Keep writing those poems please ;
I passed your poems on to friends who smiled: “ With what a surprise Vijay came up here!”
PS
I’ve been wondering about the title . Grammatically correct would be “ Rotes Wien “ , because Wien is not female, but neutral ( as Austria was meant to be…)
Hmm. Ozymandias in a red dress