Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Alfred Brendel

5

Demons
scarcely distinguishable from gods
play on the furrows of our souls
like instrumentalists
painfully but with panache
When they squeeze us
we whine
like dogs craving to get out
to bark at the dark
Dog-like
we’d love to bite them
our tormentors
only to find ourselves
biting our own tongues

5

Dämonen
von Göttern kaum zu unterscheiden
spielen auf unseren Seelenfalten
wie Instrumentalisten
bravourös aber schmerzhaft
Wenn sie uns zwicken
dann winseln wir
wie Hunde
die hinauswollen
die Sterne anzubellen
Hündisch möchten wir sie beißen
unsere Peiniger
und beißen doch nur
in die eigene Zunge
Close

5

Demons
scarcely distinguishable from gods
play on the furrows of our souls
like instrumentalists
painfully but with panache
When they squeeze us
we whine
like dogs craving to get out
to bark at the dark
Dog-like
we’d love to bite them
our tormentors
only to find ourselves
biting our own tongues

5

Demons
scarcely distinguishable from gods
play on the furrows of our souls
like instrumentalists
painfully but with panache
When they squeeze us
we whine
like dogs craving to get out
to bark at the dark
Dog-like
we’d love to bite them
our tormentors
only to find ourselves
biting our own tongues
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
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