maxima

I was in the devil’s casino and I won everything there.
I won every social game —
my lies were more cunning than Borges’ labyrinths.

I defeated every man,
for I was a beast more vicious than a basilisk.

I won every war
and traced rivers of blood across the globe.

I won all the money in the world —
now it all belongs to me.

I slept with every woman,
and in orgasm each of them looked at me
like at the final idol —
I was the phallus of ages piercing through womanhood,
and the number of my offspring is greater
than the hordes of Gog and Magog.

I wrote such an epic poem
that even Nero bowed and said to me: “Master...” —

then the devil came up to me and said:
“My treasury is empty. You have won everything.”

Only then did I leave the devil’s casino.

And outside I met a homeless man —
he has no home,
no fox’s den, no bird’s nest —
yet he is richer than I am,
for he never even entered
the devil’s casino.