Poem
Nico Bleutge
cooler brows, the clouds are lying heavily
on the round tops of the hills, the landscape’s etched from waternothing but the descent of the birds, their slow glide down
to the estuary where the air communicates something, far off
the houses are growing out of the cliff and the power cables
sag right through into the valley. everything seems to adhere to the voice
bushes and steps and the wine-red granulation of wings
their loops become longer, the head reduces the temperature
when the drops bind the dust on the tips of the feet
and the tar shows its scales, the reed grass is laying out its dry leaves
on the stones. the pupils are harder now and the clouds
are sucking in the sea. foxglove, calamus, one salpiglossis
the little plants sitting between the haulms
the newts and vipers with their grey and whitish stripes
and the darting tonguelets scanning the rain, they follow through
what the pulse has preordained, the tiny throbbing spot
beneath the sparrow’s palate, its rough, enlightened belly
that carries on gleaming a while. before it too makes off
to join the birds by the shore, their beaks still visible
like the grass edges, the subtle ooze upon the toes
the hand stays calm, the water detaches itself from the slopes
and gently settles on the haulms and on the brows
From: Mouth to Mouth. Contemporary German Poetry in Translation.
Publisher: Giramondo Publishing Company: Newcastle, Australia, 2004
Publisher: Giramondo Publishing Company: Newcastle, Australia, 2004
kühlere schläfen, die wolken liegen schwer
kühlere schläfen, die wolken liegen schwer
auf den kuppen der berge, vom wasser radiert ist die landschaftnichts als der sinkflug der vögel, ihr langsames gleiten hinab
an die mündung, wo die luft etwas mitteilt, von ferne
die häuser wachsen aus dem fels und die stromkabel
hängen durch bis ins tal. alles scheint an der stimme zu haften
sträucher und schritte, die weinrote körnung der schwingen
ihre schleifen werden länger, der kopf senkt die temperatur
wenn die tropfen den staub an den fußspitzen binden
und der teer seine schuppen zeigt, das schilf seine trockenen blätter
auf den steinen auslegt. die pupillen sind härter nun und die wolken
saugen das meer an. fingerhut, kalmus, eine salpiglossis
die kleinen pflanzen die zwischen den halmen sitzen
die molche und nattern mit ihren grauen und weißen streifen
und den züngelchen die den regen abtasten, sie ziehen nach
was der puls ihnen vorgibt, der winzige puckernde fleck
unterm gaumen des sperlings, sein rauher, aufgehellter bauch
der kurz nachglimmt. dann macht auch er sich davon
zu den vögeln am ufer, die schnäbel immer noch sichtbar
wie die grasränder, der feine schlamm an den zehen
die hand bleibt ruhig, das wasser löst sich von den hängen
und setzt sich leise an den halmen, an den schläfen fest
© 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
cooler brows, the clouds are lying heavily
on the round tops of the hills, the landscape’s etched from waternothing but the descent of the birds, their slow glide down
to the estuary where the air communicates something, far off
the houses are growing out of the cliff and the power cables
sag right through into the valley. everything seems to adhere to the voice
bushes and steps and the wine-red granulation of wings
their loops become longer, the head reduces the temperature
when the drops bind the dust on the tips of the feet
and the tar shows its scales, the reed grass is laying out its dry leaves
on the stones. the pupils are harder now and the clouds
are sucking in the sea. foxglove, calamus, one salpiglossis
the little plants sitting between the haulms
the newts and vipers with their grey and whitish stripes
and the darting tonguelets scanning the rain, they follow through
what the pulse has preordained, the tiny throbbing spot
beneath the sparrow’s palate, its rough, enlightened belly
that carries on gleaming a while. before it too makes off
to join the birds by the shore, their beaks still visible
like the grass edges, the subtle ooze upon the toes
the hand stays calm, the water detaches itself from the slopes
and gently settles on the haulms and on the brows
From: Mouth to Mouth. Contemporary German Poetry in Translation.
Publisher: 2004, Giramondo Publishing Company: Newcastle, Australia
Publisher: 2004, Giramondo Publishing Company: Newcastle, Australia
cooler brows, the clouds are lying heavily
on the round tops of the hills, the landscape’s etched from waternothing but the descent of the birds, their slow glide down
to the estuary where the air communicates something, far off
the houses are growing out of the cliff and the power cables
sag right through into the valley. everything seems to adhere to the voice
bushes and steps and the wine-red granulation of wings
their loops become longer, the head reduces the temperature
when the drops bind the dust on the tips of the feet
and the tar shows its scales, the reed grass is laying out its dry leaves
on the stones. the pupils are harder now and the clouds
are sucking in the sea. foxglove, calamus, one salpiglossis
the little plants sitting between the haulms
the newts and vipers with their grey and whitish stripes
and the darting tonguelets scanning the rain, they follow through
what the pulse has preordained, the tiny throbbing spot
beneath the sparrow’s palate, its rough, enlightened belly
that carries on gleaming a while. before it too makes off
to join the birds by the shore, their beaks still visible
like the grass edges, the subtle ooze upon the toes
the hand stays calm, the water detaches itself from the slopes
and gently settles on the haulms and on the brows
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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