Poem
Thomas Kling
Manhattan Mouthspace Two
1dead land, an algorhythmic wind
and everything as if coated in breadcrumbs.
busy
the continually looping eye.
2
a loop can be
a screw or a magnifying glass;
the screw turns
in
straight into this
3
this tongue, this
manhattan-witness, everything from
everything as good as from
first or looped hand
4
the tongue’s protocol:
blank lists.
excerpt:
sword of light
vengeance-psalm-particle
sura of light low and
everyone sat tight –
hands on the car bonnet:
day in september
as given
this is the signature
of history;
blown blowing unblown
looping looped down
eye-caricature
5
the eyes have it!
the eyes full of activity so
we sat tight in the lofty oven
in our head in our head
6
couldn’t stir and there were five sat
laying on top of me I call again
and the
ceiling
comes down
7
we lay by the waters of the hudson
and cryed sura of light down; impossible
to say it. zero
visibility, we had zero visibility.
8
. . . and we settled in the air
9
light went away only din
and we settled in the air
as on an island
unblown
and alone
10
as short flour
11
a short flour, then, under the profile, and in it the witness regulation,
the christian name, and the occasionally photographed is called
an angel; a resident of the air; stylites – as it says here. a staring
(smouldering), a looped writing. where currently a helper or
rescuer so-called eyewitness just briefly, in passing –
sidewalk – supplied THE DATE; the row of figures on the car
licence plate: THE HISTORICAL PICTURE OF MANHATTAN’S
DEAD ZONE
12
which dances – brownian motion – before these
smouldering looped eyes
13
OH the mute finger is the pilgrim hurrying by, who knows to sign his name
in the quiet, the scratched bodywork, in the dead flour, woe, in this death flour.
14
helper in need
15
new cryptography. lists.
accelerated copying.
wings visible and
palpable the propellered head;
partial head at that: the limbic system
strikes; little memoria machine kickstarts.
you unhappy eyes
16
sura of light down,
preussag down and munich re-drifting
17
the wind passes over the land. drilled granite. the looping
particles. or tongues sinking in gullets in gurgling
gulches. just to rest; to lave eyes; change
clothes; to so much as set foot at home
again. at last.
18
all this mouthspace
19
forest of stylites
sinks and sinks on many
shoulders, thumbthick.
20
this bitter flour the wind blows over,
soft algorhythm wind
the wind of manhattan
21
oh! the wind coming
off the hudson
© Translation: 2002, Michael Hofmann
From: Mouth to Mouth. Contemporary German Poetry in Translation.
Edited by Thomas Wohlfarth and Tobias Lehmkuhl.
From: Mouth to Mouth. Contemporary German Poetry in Translation.
Edited by Thomas Wohlfarth and Tobias Lehmkuhl.
Manhattan Mundraum Zwei
Manhattan Mundraum Zwei
1toter trakt, ein algorhythmus-wind.
und alles wie paniert.
in tätigkeit
stetig das loopende auge.
2
ein loop kann eine
schraube oder lupe sein;
die schraube schraubt
sich aus dem off
direkt in dies
3
hinein, in diese zungen-, in
manhattan-zeugenschrift. alles aus
alles so gut wie aus
erster aus geloopter hand
4
die zungnmitschrift also:
blanke listen.
auszug:
schwert aus licht
rache-psalm-partikel
lichtsure niedrig und
saßen alle fest –
palms auf autoheck:
septemberdatum dies
das gegebene,
dies ist die signatur
von der geschichte;
verwehte wehende unverwehte
loopende wie hingeloopte
augn-zerrschrift
5
von augen ja!
die augen voller tätigkeit so
saßen wir im hohen ofen fest
im kopf im kopf
6
konnten nicht weiter und saßen fünf
die lagen auf mir drauf ich ruf wieder an
kam auch schon die
decke
runter
7
wir lagen an den wassern des hudson
und weineten lichtsure niedrig; aus-
geschlossen es sprechen. null-
sichten, hatten nullsicht
8
. . . und siedelten in der luft
9
licht ging weg nur noch krach
und siedelten so in der luft
wir auf einer insel
unverweht
und allein
10
als kurzes mehl
11
ein kurzes mehl, dann, unterm profil, darin die zeugenvorschrift,
der vorname, und der gelegentlich fotografierte wird ein engel
genannt; ein luftsiedler; stylitinnen – wie hier steht. eine äugende
(glimmende), eine geloopte schrift. in die passant ein helfer oder
retter sogenannter augenzeuge nur so ebenhin, vorübergehend –
laufsteg eher – DAS DATUM eingegeben hat; auf autoheck die
zahlenreihe: DAS GESCHICHTSBILD MANHATTANS TO-
TER TRAKT
12
das tanzt – partikeltanz – vor diesen
glimmenden geloopten augen
13
ACH der stumme finger ist der pilger, der vorüberhastet, der sich einzuschreiben
weiß ins leise lack-zerkratzen, ins todten mehl, ach! in dies totnmehl hinein.
14
nothelfer
15
neue krytographie. listen.
nachbildbeschleunigung.
flügel sichtbar und
spürbar der flügelgeschraubte kopf;
und zwar partikelkopf: das limbische system
schlägt zu; memoria-maschinchen angefacht.
ihr unglücklichen augen
16
lichtsure niedrig,
niedrig preussag und münchner rück
17
es geht der wind übers gelände. gepfählter granit. die loopende,
partikel. oder zungen, die in schlünde sinken in erstickter
schlucht. um einfach auszuruhen; um augen zu spülen; die
wäsche zu wechseln; überhaupt die wohnung zu betreten,
wieder. endlich.
18
dies alles mundraum
19
stylitenwald
sinkt und sinkt auf viele
schultern, daumendick.
20
dies bittere mehl, darüber wind geht,
leiser algorhythmen-wind
der wind von
manhattan
21
ach! vom hudson wehend
kommt der wind
© 2002, DuMont Literaturverlag
From: Thomas Kling: Sondagen. Gedichte
Publisher: DuMont Verlag, Köln
From: Thomas Kling: Sondagen. Gedichte
Publisher: DuMont Verlag, Köln
Poems
Poems of Thomas Kling
Close
Manhattan Mouthspace Two
1dead land, an algorhythmic wind
and everything as if coated in breadcrumbs.
busy
the continually looping eye.
2
a loop can be
a screw or a magnifying glass;
the screw turns
in
straight into this
3
this tongue, this
manhattan-witness, everything from
everything as good as from
first or looped hand
4
the tongue’s protocol:
blank lists.
excerpt:
sword of light
vengeance-psalm-particle
sura of light low and
everyone sat tight –
hands on the car bonnet:
day in september
as given
this is the signature
of history;
blown blowing unblown
looping looped down
eye-caricature
5
the eyes have it!
the eyes full of activity so
we sat tight in the lofty oven
in our head in our head
6
couldn’t stir and there were five sat
laying on top of me I call again
and the
ceiling
comes down
7
we lay by the waters of the hudson
and cryed sura of light down; impossible
to say it. zero
visibility, we had zero visibility.
8
. . . and we settled in the air
9
light went away only din
and we settled in the air
as on an island
unblown
and alone
10
as short flour
11
a short flour, then, under the profile, and in it the witness regulation,
the christian name, and the occasionally photographed is called
an angel; a resident of the air; stylites – as it says here. a staring
(smouldering), a looped writing. where currently a helper or
rescuer so-called eyewitness just briefly, in passing –
sidewalk – supplied THE DATE; the row of figures on the car
licence plate: THE HISTORICAL PICTURE OF MANHATTAN’S
DEAD ZONE
12
which dances – brownian motion – before these
smouldering looped eyes
13
OH the mute finger is the pilgrim hurrying by, who knows to sign his name
in the quiet, the scratched bodywork, in the dead flour, woe, in this death flour.
14
helper in need
15
new cryptography. lists.
accelerated copying.
wings visible and
palpable the propellered head;
partial head at that: the limbic system
strikes; little memoria machine kickstarts.
you unhappy eyes
16
sura of light down,
preussag down and munich re-drifting
17
the wind passes over the land. drilled granite. the looping
particles. or tongues sinking in gullets in gurgling
gulches. just to rest; to lave eyes; change
clothes; to so much as set foot at home
again. at last.
18
all this mouthspace
19
forest of stylites
sinks and sinks on many
shoulders, thumbthick.
20
this bitter flour the wind blows over,
soft algorhythm wind
the wind of manhattan
21
oh! the wind coming
off the hudson
© 2002, Michael Hofmann
From: Mouth to Mouth. Contemporary German Poetry in Translation.
Edited by Thomas Wohlfarth and Tobias Lehmkuhl.
From: Mouth to Mouth. Contemporary German Poetry in Translation.
Edited by Thomas Wohlfarth and Tobias Lehmkuhl.
Manhattan Mouthspace Two
1dead land, an algorhythmic wind
and everything as if coated in breadcrumbs.
busy
the continually looping eye.
2
a loop can be
a screw or a magnifying glass;
the screw turns
in
straight into this
3
this tongue, this
manhattan-witness, everything from
everything as good as from
first or looped hand
4
the tongue’s protocol:
blank lists.
excerpt:
sword of light
vengeance-psalm-particle
sura of light low and
everyone sat tight –
hands on the car bonnet:
day in september
as given
this is the signature
of history;
blown blowing unblown
looping looped down
eye-caricature
5
the eyes have it!
the eyes full of activity so
we sat tight in the lofty oven
in our head in our head
6
couldn’t stir and there were five sat
laying on top of me I call again
and the
ceiling
comes down
7
we lay by the waters of the hudson
and cryed sura of light down; impossible
to say it. zero
visibility, we had zero visibility.
8
. . . and we settled in the air
9
light went away only din
and we settled in the air
as on an island
unblown
and alone
10
as short flour
11
a short flour, then, under the profile, and in it the witness regulation,
the christian name, and the occasionally photographed is called
an angel; a resident of the air; stylites – as it says here. a staring
(smouldering), a looped writing. where currently a helper or
rescuer so-called eyewitness just briefly, in passing –
sidewalk – supplied THE DATE; the row of figures on the car
licence plate: THE HISTORICAL PICTURE OF MANHATTAN’S
DEAD ZONE
12
which dances – brownian motion – before these
smouldering looped eyes
13
OH the mute finger is the pilgrim hurrying by, who knows to sign his name
in the quiet, the scratched bodywork, in the dead flour, woe, in this death flour.
14
helper in need
15
new cryptography. lists.
accelerated copying.
wings visible and
palpable the propellered head;
partial head at that: the limbic system
strikes; little memoria machine kickstarts.
you unhappy eyes
16
sura of light down,
preussag down and munich re-drifting
17
the wind passes over the land. drilled granite. the looping
particles. or tongues sinking in gullets in gurgling
gulches. just to rest; to lave eyes; change
clothes; to so much as set foot at home
again. at last.
18
all this mouthspace
19
forest of stylites
sinks and sinks on many
shoulders, thumbthick.
20
this bitter flour the wind blows over,
soft algorhythm wind
the wind of manhattan
21
oh! the wind coming
off the hudson
© 2002, Michael Hofmann
From: Mouth to Mouth. Contemporary German Poetry in Translation.
Edited by Thomas Wohlfarth and Tobias Lehmkuhl.
From: Mouth to Mouth. Contemporary German Poetry in Translation.
Edited by Thomas Wohlfarth and Tobias Lehmkuhl.
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