中国大好き

WIEN-BERLIN

wieder fahr ich entlang der elbe
wie chinesische gemälde
bald nach der grenze ganz schroffe wände.
in tschechien hat es geregnet
eigentlich bräucht ich noch viel mehr schlaf.
im zug wird es kalt
drei, vier leute im abteil
weit weg von griechenland

MW Juli 2015

《柏林漂亮姑娘》

柏林漂亮姑娘
年轻漂亮姑娘
年轻大漂亮姑娘
睡觉在地铁
希望他活着

2015/7

BERLIN BEAUTY

berlin beauty
young berlin beauty
young and beautiful girl
sleeps in the subway
hope she’s alive

MW July 2015

SCHÖNES MÄDCHEN

berlin: schönes mädchen
junges schönes mädchen
großes schönes mädchen
schläft in der u-bahn
hoffentlich lebt sie

MW Juli 2015

SCHÖN

ein schöner workshop am lcb
das schöne ist des schrecklichen anfang
wann heißt zehntausend der zehntausendsee
klingt wie bergen-belsen
das lcb liegt wunderschön
ein märchenschloss
gruppe 47
pack die badehose
so viele seen in österreich
berlin ist ein grünes idyllisches dorf
ingeborg bachmann hat hier gewohnt
an diesem see in dieser villa
die nachkriegsgruppe hat hier getagt
worauf kommt es an auf die geschichte
auf die gestade die bäume das blau
die wannsee-konferenz
zehntausend kann man als hakenkreuz schreiben
weiß nicht warum es zehntausend heißt
hier war mein vater mit mir im segelboot
sagt tong yali als kleines kind
war sie schon in deutschland
deutschland das de-land das dao-de-dsching
der weg und die tugend
wie viele seen in österreich
irgendwo in den alpen
gruppe 47
bachmann, celan
das schöne ist des schrecklichen anfang

MW Juli 2015

SO MANY
– for T.

so many days we are alone
I am not alone I am married with kids
so many days we are alone

MW July 2015

很多
– 給T.

很多天我们都一個人了
很多天我有妻子有孩子
很多天我們都一個人了

2015/7

SO VIELE
– für T.

so viele tage sind wir allein
ich bin nicht allein ich hab frau und kinder
so viele tage sind wir allein

2015-7

BERLIN, GEDÄCHTNISKIRCHE

du sagst du brauchst schuhe
du brauchst unterwäsche
die christusgestalt
im neuen haus scheint zu schweben
gehen wir essen

MW Juli 2015

MEMORIAL CHURCH, BERLIN

you say you need shoes
you need underwear
the statue of christ
in the new church seems to float in the air
let’s go eat

MW July 2015

MOABIT

die sonne sinkt
die s-bahn fährt
die vögel und
die kinder schäkern
quietschen
noch ein paar strahlen
die stadt ist nass

MW Juli 2015

JEWS

jews
are for justice
others
don’t need it so often

you can’t say that
my jewish friend says
the palestinians
what are they going to say?

MW July 2015

JUDEN

juden
sind für gerechtigkeit
andere
brauchen das nicht so oft

kann man nicht sagen
sagt meine jüdische freundin
was sagen dann die palästinenser

MW Berlin, Juli 2015

STRALSUND

das meer riecht nach fisch.
der sonnenuntergang rollt
ganz ganz leise.
im fischgeschäft gibt es
viele verschiedene fische.
nicht vergebens verschieden!
alle sind köstlich.

MW Juli 2015

STRALSUND

the sea smells of fish
the sunset rolls in
very softly
the fish hall has
many kinds of fish
they are all very kind
to your palate

MW July 2015

SWINOUJSCIE

they have a free ferry in świnoujście
one of the best things in this town
don’t know how much you have to pay
if you bring your car
guess there are monthly passes
or some permanent card
everyone needs to cross
at the mouth of the river świna
there is no bridge
the seaside is a little like latvia
except for the trees
we didn’t see any blueberries either
but the baltic sea and the sand
and the sun in summer are much the same
and also the rain
the wind is strong
the park is beautiful
they destroyed more than half of this town
in world war two
there is a church tower
without a church
a café in the tower
there is one central square
with some old houses
a fountain for kids
streets are named after national heroes
from solidarity and from before
train station is on the other side
the ferry is one of the best things in town

MW July 2015
WARSAW

the eagle is not beautiful
the shadow of the eagle is
they have a chapel for Katyn
across from uprising square
the uprising was very brave
they won at first
the Red Army was there
just across the river
but the Red Army waited
then the Germans came back
they razed Warsaw City
the Red Army waited
that was in 1944
before that was the Ghetto
the Ghetto uprising
Stalin’ s culture palace stands in its place
in the place of the Ghetto
Katyn
was in 1940
tens of thousands of Polish officers
killed by Soviet intelligence
Ukrainians too
they have a chapel for Katyn
across from Uprising Square
tens of thousands of names
and a beautiful eagle
they say
I like its shadow

MW July 2015

SUNSHINE IN WARSAW

Jacqueline Winter

A beautiful summer morning. Biking through the historical center. The bike return station is next to the monument of the 1944 uprising against the Nazis. HOW many dead and wounded, while the Red Army literally stood by on the outskirts of town? And the city dynamited and emptied of its population…you would never think it, looking at it now.
Across the street, inside a church, a simple and gut- wrenching memorial to the Katyn massacre victims. With a side memorial for the Smolensk plane crash of 2010, which I fail to understand. Must ask a local where they see the connection- if they do.
And what a tough people: exiled, murdered, bombed, map redrawn…yet they rebuilt splendidly from the rubble while still dirt- poor and were the first to put up meaningful nonviolent resistance to the Soviets back in 1980. And had free elections as soon as they could.
Swinemünde/ Swinoujscie had public exhibits around town about their common history with Germany, bilingual. A strongly German city which was bombed flat 55% for being a naval base. No mention of the pre-war German population in Warsaw, though…
The Warsaw “Stalin cake” / Palace of Culture and Science is still on the grounds of the Jewish ghetto. That uprising was in 1943. A few meters of markings on the ground to show where its outer wall once stood. That is all.

ATTITUDE, EMPATHY AND SO ON
Martin Winter

People are trying to get by everywhere. First World vs. Third World (or Second World) creates issues of privilege. Just like different kinds of background, experience, heritage make for issues of disconnect within a common country or region. Why are people stupid enough to vote for or even work with racist rightist arseholes in Hitler-spawning Austria? Austria-Hungary-Germany whatever? My friends in China try to get by. Like people everywhere. Some get to express how they detest the state they are in. Some more than others. Like people anywhere, more or less. Some have their audience, as famous poets or fiction writers. Yes, things have improved very much in Taiwan, and in China there is the same repression going on in some ways. Yes, everyone is taking part more or less, including foreigners. All in all, foreign media is a good influence. Most of it. Everywhere probably, in every country, reporting from any outsider’s stance or background can be very refreshing. I was privileged in Taiwan and in China, in Eastern Europe, even in America. On the other hand, I am in between. Every day I talk and work with people and texts from different worlds. It’s a great life, all in all.