Poem
Nico Bleutge
character head, section Messerschmidt (F.X.): 1
that’s metal, the scarcely polished plate, is so full oflust. there the mouth expresses itself, the tongue
in the cavity is a wedge. there tendons strain, a wedge
out of a head, which folds on the plinth
hold by its carotid. head, which is metal and so
goes cold into your fingernails, when your fingers smear the
wrinkles that flow into rolls at the root of the nose.
the skullbone wants to be alien to the pretty
plate support, the lips fearfully hard, i
would like to become such a one, as another
has been. so it says to him, in one direction the brow
is to be a stack of ribs, under which the eye-
lids bulge, still, as if time had stopped in this bald
skull, arrested. where though the tongue still wants to
whisper and to crack the bones. that’s metal
and keeps up the tone, on a scarcely polished plate.
From: Mouth to Mouth. Contemporary German Poetry in Translation.
Publisher: Giramondo Publishing Company: Newcastle, Australia, 2004
Publisher: Giramondo Publishing Company: Newcastle, Australia, 2004
charakterkopf, abteilung Messerschmidt (F.X.): 1
charakterkopf, abteilung Messerschmidt (F.X.): 1
metall ist das, die kaum polierte platte, ist so vollerlust. da spricht der mund sich aus, die zunge
in der höhlung ist ein keil. da spannen sehnen sich, ein keil
aus einem kopf, den an der halsschlagader falten
auf dem sockel halten. kopf, der aus metall und also kalt
in deine fingernägel geht, wenn du die wulstig aus
geformten runzeln an der nasenwurzel fleckig schnippst.
dem hübschen plattenträger will der schädel
knochen fremdling sein, die lippen scheußlich hart, ich
möchte ein solcher werden, wie einmal ein anderer
gewesen ist. so sagt es ihm, in einer richtung soll die stirn
ein rippenlager sein, darunter wölben sich die augen
lider, still, als sei die zeit in diesem kahlen schädel an
gehalten, festgestellt. wo doch die zunge weiter
flüstern und die knochen knacken will. das ist metall
und hält den ton, auf einer kaum polierten platte.
© 2003, Nico Bleutge
From: Mouth to Mouth. Contemporary German Poetry in Translation.
Publisher: Giramondo Publishing Company: Newcastle, Australia
From: Mouth to Mouth. Contemporary German Poetry in Translation.
Publisher: Giramondo Publishing Company: Newcastle, Australia
Poems
Poems of Nico Bleutge
Close
character head, section Messerschmidt (F.X.): 1
that’s metal, the scarcely polished plate, is so full oflust. there the mouth expresses itself, the tongue
in the cavity is a wedge. there tendons strain, a wedge
out of a head, which folds on the plinth
hold by its carotid. head, which is metal and so
goes cold into your fingernails, when your fingers smear the
wrinkles that flow into rolls at the root of the nose.
the skullbone wants to be alien to the pretty
plate support, the lips fearfully hard, i
would like to become such a one, as another
has been. so it says to him, in one direction the brow
is to be a stack of ribs, under which the eye-
lids bulge, still, as if time had stopped in this bald
skull, arrested. where though the tongue still wants to
whisper and to crack the bones. that’s metal
and keeps up the tone, on a scarcely polished plate.
From: Mouth to Mouth. Contemporary German Poetry in Translation.
Publisher: 2004, Giramondo Publishing Company: Newcastle, Australia
Publisher: 2004, Giramondo Publishing Company: Newcastle, Australia
character head, section Messerschmidt (F.X.): 1
that’s metal, the scarcely polished plate, is so full oflust. there the mouth expresses itself, the tongue
in the cavity is a wedge. there tendons strain, a wedge
out of a head, which folds on the plinth
hold by its carotid. head, which is metal and so
goes cold into your fingernails, when your fingers smear the
wrinkles that flow into rolls at the root of the nose.
the skullbone wants to be alien to the pretty
plate support, the lips fearfully hard, i
would like to become such a one, as another
has been. so it says to him, in one direction the brow
is to be a stack of ribs, under which the eye-
lids bulge, still, as if time had stopped in this bald
skull, arrested. where though the tongue still wants to
whisper and to crack the bones. that’s metal
and keeps up the tone, on a scarcely polished plate.
From: Mouth to Mouth. Contemporary German Poetry in Translation.
Publisher: 2004, Giramondo Publishing Company: Newcastle, Australia
Publisher: 2004, Giramondo Publishing Company: Newcastle, Australia
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