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by Theresa Steigleder

Beethoven wanted all people to be treated equally at some point.

I’d say we screwed that up pretty badly.

That’s why we now have the:

Ode to today

Joy, beautiful spark of the gods

you child of the rich bourgeoisie

where have we sunk to?

Wasn’t all this once a sanctuary?

All will be brothers, you say

but you forget your little sister,

All beggars should become princes,

With our nature here on earth,

we work hand in hand

And the time in our land

oh, that should be for joy?

Tell that to the euro bill!

Freedom, most beautiful of all god thoughts

when did you explode?

Are they hoarding you in banks

or who collected you?

All should sing the same,

all should sing ONE song,

Diversity holds but much!

And to accept THAT –

Wouldn’t that be justice?

What is left of the sparks,

that you sang to us?

Who still hears the central idea

that looms dusty over Europe?

We are tearing down our borders

and are already building new ones.

And I? Am I supposed to be alive HERE

and be happy about it?

Moria and the Mediterranean,

inherited houses remain empty

Illuminated by burning forests,

surrounded by poison on our fields

Hambi stays and Hambi goes,

Payment is enough and reminder stands.

Between fake news and the lying press

Everywhere there’s on the face! / For whom is what of interest?

Attacks and police violence,

A hatred that echoes through the media,

Are you in favor? Are you against?

For some ulcer,

for others, a shower of gold.

All this is Europe,

All this resounds through our country!

“They should go” and

“They can stay”

“Behave yourself, you immigrant!”

“What? I’m allowed to, because I’m drunk!”

If all this is supposed to be so free

in our country, so wonderful,

well, we need some new sparks.

HUMAN, you beautiful spark of the gods,

you have it in your own hand,

You were born on the earth

and by luck into this land

Forget your accidental inheritance

because, HUMAN, remember

you are only a small spark

and not a god figure.

When will you begin to give thanks for your existence

and stop with violence?

It sounds so simple from this stage

but it is not,

We can’t wait in guilt and atonement

wait until everything collapses.

Politicians, you chosen ones,

Look at us with our power

Consider not only the economic deficits

but what you create WITH US.

We are not products within borders,

your administrators deal with people.

And I will continue to believe in

your arms trade in the roundabout,

nobody wants it anymore.

The most beautiful rhyme to the fact that we are fighting each other

I tell you, as a human being,

is and remains peace.