As the under-secretary leans forward and draws an X
her earrings dangle like the sword above Damocles,
As a speckled butterfly turns invisible against the earth
the demon merges with the opened newspaper.
A helmet worn by no one seizes power.
A mother tortoise escapes, flying underwater.
~ Tomas Transtromer
from The Sorrow Gondola
translations by Michael McGriff and Mikaela Grassl