WIND
At the start cautious
like someone sightless
fumbling the home
and searching for the door
It bangs the window with its head
Walls will wail
window glass clink
chimneys begin to howl qith melancholy
and drums crack in the ears of jugs
听
Then on the door the latch rattles
like noon in a听pocket watch
and corners start to cuckoo midnight
听
Meanwhile the wind has dragged itself inside
the violin鈥檚 little cavity through the bass key
and is already whistling in church
in verses full of windlessnesss
听
And you mutely put up whit them
听
听
DESIRE
To get into the poem
like the pip in a听cherry
听
To tuck yourself up in it
as in a听lap
听
To sweat in it
as in your own skin
听
To preserve yourself in it
as in the grave
听
Words Words Words
听
Go poem go
take yourself off to an old willow
Whisper to the hollow trunk
So no-one can hear
听
that the poet is
naked
听
Words Words Words
All we have on
Nothing more
Nothing less
听
听
FALLING ASLEEP
Father,
who fashioned听 this bed
from punctilious planks
for a听whole life long
now help me seek out
lost children.
听
Or better a听new berth
fixed together from the unpunctual
bark of conifers
at least for one night
let me lie as in pine needles
let a听forest grow over me
听
Hasten
Already the moment is passing
Already somewhere it has caught fire
听
And a听squirrel
through the burnt-out ground
听
Behind her the dog
Amen
听
WHITE NIGHTS WITH A听ROOSTER
There鈥檒l be, my daughter,
white nights
with a听rooster on the roof
Shadow split by lightning
A听double lonelinesss
听
And beyond the blaze of the slates
you鈥檒l ignite a听field of poppies
Wolf-dark will come
听
You鈥檒l go in a听red
circle
One leg
will catch up the other
听
There鈥檒l be, my daughter,
red nights
with a听rooster in the well
A听multiple picture of the moon
sparkling beneath the surface
And听 how ever much you scoop up
then so much the less
听
You鈥檒l drop the tiny key
of a听child鈥檚 treasure chest
into the well
听
You鈥檒l hear upside-down buckets
rattle above the water
Behind the blind window the goatsucker
will hoot at billy goat corner:
听
(The maiden dreamed in a听white heat
her little bed caught fire beneath her)
听
She sleeps
Her pretty head streams out
over the bedside
听
as if she already knew
听
听
听Translated by听Viera and James Sutherland-Smith
听