Author: Arne Rautenberg
Translator: Ken Cockburn
becoming an ape made easy
flounder in water
swim on land
jump into mud
get arms and legs
go into greenery
grow some fur
clamber right
to the top
of a tree
an ape from every
burden free
drunk in the dark
a light bulb
sky
a light bulb
oho
a light bulb in an attempt
a ridiculous attempt
to attain composure
me
sky
me
oho
me me me in an attempt
a ridiculous attempt
to climb a ladder
the light
sky
the light
oho
the light in an attempt
a ridiculous attempt
to illuminate something
the meaning
sky
the meaning
oho
the meaning in an attempt
a ridiculous attempt
to mean something
leaving the house
opening your eyes
leaving the house
and on leaving the house
getting out of bed
changing your clothes
leaving the house
and on leaving the house
closing the door behind you
getting on the train
leaving the house
and on leaving the house
coming out of the station
entering a skyscraper
leaving the house
and on leaving the house
going up in the lift
falling down at your desk
leaving the house
and on leaving the house
not shutting your eyes
daily dramas
morning
the plane
in blue
white its line
noon
cooling on
porcelain
an animal
afternoon
dr gachet’s
abiding slumber
before van gogh’s paintings
evening
leaps
from an open book
a flame
night
a ladybird
reveals
its machinegun
excavating a writing desk
excavating a writing desk
finding worms lots of worms
(they writhe in the light)
excavating a writing desk
finding helmets lots of helmets
(some with holes and some intact)
excavating a writing desk
breechblocks gasmasks
(some with skulls and some without)
excavating a writing desk
finding bones lots of bones
(which even death can’t split)
excavating a writing desk
standing in the middle of it as oneself
(in the fog or granted sight)
the shifting wind
the chances it’ll turn out right
increase the longer
it’s all going wrong
should one set
achievable goals?
the chances it’ll turn out wrong
decrease the longer
it’s all going right
should one set
unachievable goals?
From mundfauler staub (Horlemann, 2012) and seltene erde (Horlemann, 2014).