in that bunker in Berlin
he shot Eva Braun but couldn't do it
to himself
the Russians got him
the captors got big pensions
for a while
and Stalin put Hitler
in a small cage
teased him with hot pokers
and broken German
till he died at last
and Stalin left him
on the roof for the birds
saved the bones
in a file cabinet.

Hitler's back now
washing dishes in Uganda
trying to get money for
AZT.

Stalin died appropriately enough
of neglect
he got sick from TB
pneumonia and self abuse
and they locked the door
to his room
and went away
too weak to get out of bed
still it took him days to go.

they held parades
but the spectre would not pass
the fear as well
seemed only to grow
and one by one
they joined him.

I saw Stalin last month
driving a yellow cab in New York City
he stared out at me
as we waited in traffic
his big moustache twitching
that red light seemed to last
forever.