"You’re a goner or you’re gonna drive!" The choice before us, it is rather plain: We have been sentenced to a slow life. Moreover, to this life we’ve been chained. Yet hastily we swallowed their lie, Believed without thinking, feeling reckless. But is it really life, when you are tied? And is it really choice, if you’re in shackles? Deceitful mercy was bestowed upon us, Like witch’s brew, made minds go outta whack. Death from a friend - lurks behind the stones. Death from a foe - stares us in the back. The face is frozen, and the back is stiff. Like pawns we’re silent and in anguish twitching. And Shame (not so eager to forgive) Is staring at us through the dirty windshield. If only these shackles we could smash, We’d then rip out the throats of the hated: The ones who had us bound by the flesh To life that is so grossly overrated! Are we still hoping for a happy ending? Against this chain we don’t stand a chance! Why are we knocking on the gates of heaven With bare knuckles on the iron clamps? They offered us an exit from the war, But it came at a price beyond all reason: We have been sentenced to the life of whores, Through shame, through shame and dirty treason! But such existence how can one cherish? We will not build our happiness on thorns! By agonizing life - we will not perish! By certain death instead - we’ll be reborn!        
© Vadim Astrakhan. Translation, 2012
© Vadim Astrakhan. Performance, 2017