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“On the Term Exile” by Bertolt Brecht 🇩🇪 (10 Feb 1898 – 14 Aug 1956)
Translated from the German
No need to drive a nail into the wall
To hang your hat on;
When you come in, just drop it on the chair
No guest has sat on.
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Don’t worry about watering the flowers—
In fact, don’t plant them.
You will have gone back home before they bloom,
And who will want them?
​
If mastering the language is too hard,
Only be patient;
The telegram imploring your return
Won’t need translation.
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Remember, when the ceiling sheds itself
In flakes of plaster,
The wall that keeps you out is crumbling too,
As fast or faster.