Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Elke Erb

WINTERY FIELDS SEEN FROM THE TRAIN

There stood 1 tree
not tall, at night (???)    To the right
a jacket     dog      to the left, almost part-tree,
pants on top of shoes
 
Arms lifted – the tree
 
All around and gazes   being-at-and-around, somehow,                    
gazes at you, somehow,
 
“Get me out of here!” cry the eyes. “My God!
Angelus Dei! Do it!”
 
Lausick Geithain along the tracks
first little houses then
bizarre
 
(stately)
(investment floors
formerly)
 
then again small ones & when
they look out, out of the
small houses, and see
 
the wide sky —
what then?
 
„Get me out!“
cries the rabbit, out
of its fur
 
un danz ganz alleen
op de achtersten Been,
 
landscape!
in Leipzig’s south county . . .

WINTERVELDEN VANUIT DE TREIN

Daar stond 1 boom
niet groot, ’s nachts (???)    Rechts
ernaast jas    hond   links, boomdeel ook,
broek op z’n schoenen
Z’n armen omhoog – boom

Ommelanden ende blikt   aan-ende-omzijn, ergens,
staart je aan, ergens, ze roepen

“Haal me hier uit!, de ogen. “Mijn god!
Angelus Dei! Doe ’t!”

Lausick Geithain aan het spoor
eerst kleine huisjes dan
wonderlijke

(plechtig)
(vermogensetages
destijds)

dan weer kleine & als
ze naar buiten kijken, die uit de
kleine, en zien

de grote hemel –
wat dan?

“Haal me hier uit!”
gilt de haas, tuurt
uit zijn vacht

un danz ganz alleen
op de achtersten Been
,

landschap!
in Leipzigs zuidelijke achterland…

WINTERGEFILDE VOM ZUG AUS

Da stand 1 Baum
nicht groß, nachts (???)    Rechts
neben ihm Jacke    Hund   links, Baumteil auch,
die Hose auf Schuhn
 
Die Arme erhoben – Baum
 
Umland unde blickt   An-unde-Umsein, irgend,
blickt zu dir, irgend, es rufen
 
"Hol mich hier raus!" die Augen. "Weißgott!
Angelus Dei! Tus!"
 
Lausick Geithain an der Bahn
erst kleine Häuser dann
absonderliche
 
(stattlich)
(Vermögensstockwerke
ehemals)
 
dann wieder kleine & wenn
sie hinausschaun, die aus den
kleinen, und sehn
 
den großen Himmel –
was dann?
 
"Hol mich hier raus!"
schreit der Hase, guckt
aus dem Pelz
 
un danz ganz alleen
op de achtersten Been,
 
Landschaft!
im südlichen Landkreis Leipzig . . .
Close

WINTERY FIELDS SEEN FROM THE TRAIN

There stood 1 tree
not tall, at night (???)    To the right
a jacket     dog      to the left, almost part-tree,
pants on top of shoes
 
Arms lifted – the tree
 
All around and gazes   being-at-and-around, somehow,                    
gazes at you, somehow,
 
“Get me out of here!” cry the eyes. “My God!
Angelus Dei! Do it!”
 
Lausick Geithain along the tracks
first little houses then
bizarre
 
(stately)
(investment floors
formerly)
 
then again small ones & when
they look out, out of the
small houses, and see
 
the wide sky —
what then?
 
„Get me out!“
cries the rabbit, out
of its fur
 
un danz ganz alleen
op de achtersten Been,
 
landscape!
in Leipzig’s south county . . .

WINTERY FIELDS SEEN FROM THE TRAIN

There stood 1 tree
not tall, at night (???)    To the right
a jacket     dog      to the left, almost part-tree,
pants on top of shoes
 
Arms lifted – the tree
 
All around and gazes   being-at-and-around, somehow,                    
gazes at you, somehow,
 
“Get me out of here!” cry the eyes. “My God!
Angelus Dei! Do it!”
 
Lausick Geithain along the tracks
first little houses then
bizarre
 
(stately)
(investment floors
formerly)
 
then again small ones & when
they look out, out of the
small houses, and see
 
the wide sky —
what then?
 
„Get me out!“
cries the rabbit, out
of its fur
 
un danz ganz alleen
op de achtersten Been,
 
landscape!
in Leipzig’s south county . . .
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère