2 CENTS
Vote for Corbyn,
he is the lesser evil
at least
for the many.
The helpless half
The poorer half
The stupider half
The slyer half
That‘s four quarters already
of Germany
or the EU
maybe they are
somewhat like the people
who vote for Trump
or any old chump
who acts brazen enough.
MW November 2019
GORBACHEV
Gorbachev is a moral voice.
The leader of an empire is
a moral voice for most of his life.
He tried everything to preserve
the empire he undermined.
He is a Communist.
And so
Gorbachev is a moral voice
for the world.
Reagan was a supportive
Cowboy actor.
Very supportive
for speculators
and Contra terrorists
and Kissinger’s and Thatcher’s
and the Chicago Boys’ Pinochet.
Very supportive.
Gorbachev is for democracy
and world peace.
Could he be a leader
of the European Union,
could he be a good one?
He’s too old anyway.
But it would have to include Russia
to say nothing of Britain
of course
and so on.
Wish we all
all people affected
would have a say.
P.S.: My wife
thinks this is hogwash.
She doesn’t like my political poems.
What do you think?
I know I have to write a lot
and translate and read
and do a lot of other stuff
to write some good ones.
So there.
MW November 2019
P.P.S.: Here are some great photos and a short film from the GDR: https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/089938-000-A/radfahrer/
FIRE
there is a tower on fire in london
full of ordinary people
government housing
the american government
is preoccupied
every day
with president embarrassement
there is a looming election in austria
just like last year
the eu is not happy
italy and greece
have many refugees
some eastern countries
including austria
refuse to take any
austria has taken many
there has been solidarity
among the people
but also much cowardice
in government
cowardice and cunning
unscrupulousness
take your pick
the fire’s still burning
MW June 2017
MAYDAY
teresa really does look like trump
now I sit down and sign
because I have promised
we can be as pathetic
as anyone
MW March 29th, 2017
2016 was actually not bad.
We won Van der Bellen.
It was a long match.
The referee made it last the whole year.
We stayed in our league.
Which regional league is that exactly?
There are so many, aren’t there?
They lost some big matches in other leagues.
There’ll be all sorts of fall-out all over.
Anyway, we won.
Happy New Year!
MW December 2016
祝大家2017年好！
2016年其實不那麽糟糕。
我们赢了總統大選
總共打了一年，
一直拖延因為裁判的决定，
最後留在原来的级别。
到底什麽地區的级别？
在其他地區
别人輸了他們的比赛,
到處都會有影響。
不過我們赢了！
從奥地利祝新年好！
2016.12.31
New books out from FabrikTransit: www.fabriktransit.net
New Reading on January 17!
Lesung von Martin Winter 維馬丁朗誦會
DI, 17. Jänner 2017, 18 Uhr
PEN-Club, Bankgasse 8, 1010 Wien
Siehe http://www.fabriktransit.net/index.php/events/97-martin-winter-im-pen-club und
the italian foreign minister says
on brettscheid square in berlin
memorial church right where the lorry
he says the suspect had been in prison
in tunisia and in italy
also in germany
normally it works out much better
in italy
normally they are good at deporting
what a relief
british foreign ministry in london
720 laptops went missing
unusually high number they say
no shit
MW December 2016
der italienische außenminister sagt
auf dem brettscheidplatz in berlin
gedächtniskirche dort wo der lastwagen
er sagt der verdächtige war im gefängnis
in tunesien und in italien
und auch in deutschland
normalerweise funktioniere es besser
in italien
normalerweise schiebe man besser ab
was für ein trost
im britischen verteidigungsministerium in london
sind heuer 720 laptops verschwunden
eine ungewöhnlich hohe zahl heißt es
no shit
MW Dezember 2016
TRIUMPH
I am going to feel the sun
I am going to be number one
on this run
to feel the sun
I am going to be number one
I am going to feel the wind
I am not going to be extinct
on this stint
to feel the wind
I am going to feel the wind
I am going to feel the rain
I am going to feel it again
and again
I am going to feel the rain
I am going to feel my life
I am going to feel my wife
like Lou Reed
I am going to feel my life
I am going to be rife
I am going to go to sleep
I am going to go to sleep
in a heap
It will be steep
I am going to go to sleep
MW September 2016
BRITAIN AFTER THE VOTE
recently britain
had a big vote.
the vote was about remaining or leaving.
the government thought
most people would vote
to remain in britain.
but most people didn’t.
the leave britain campaign
was victorious.
now there are not many people
in britain.
MW September 2016
photo by David Howard
3 WALES IN AUSTRIA
3 whales in austria
wales played much better
in german whale sounds the same as election
any choice
president is like english
trump started to smell long ago
in 2000 there was a problem
no-one had three votes in half a year.
the na in nazi means nation
national socialism
democratic whales are still good
the best whale is still socialism
but in brexit times
we have ever more ranking
president wales
MW July 2016
《奥地利三条鲸鱼》
奥地利第三次選鲸鱼
德语选举和鲸鱼发音一样
而總統像英语。
美国共和党候选人已经有味道
他们2000年选举有问题
也不是半年選三次。
纳粹的纳德语是民族
纳粹的翠德语是社会主义。
无论如何要民主鲸鱼。
社会主义永远是最好的鲸鱼。
但英国离开欧盟的危机之下
奥地利三次鲸鱼腥味
愈来愈濃。
2016/7
3. WAL
der 3. wal
des österreichischen bundespräsidenten
schmeckt wie der 1. wal
lasst die viecher in ruhe
ich mag sie nicht
oft auf dem tisch
MW Juli 2016
《三等》
奥地利三次選總統
奥地利三等選總統
一等国家
不容忍纳粹
2016.7.1
3. WAHL
österreich ist 3. wahl
1. wahl wären länder
die nazis nicht tolerieren
MW 1. Juli 2016
photo by David Howard
via Rhys Goode and Didi Kirsten Tatlow
I guess this chart shows very clearly what a huge mistake it was for Cameron to play the tough Eu-sceptic all these years, promising this utterly stupid referendum. There are many frustrated people in the UK. There are many frustrated people in the US and in many other countries. One big factor is the so-called neo-liberal economy, unleashed by Thatcher and Reagan. The rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders addresses this fundamental problem. Bill Clinton and Tony Blair thought there could be a Third Way. Did it work? In some ways, for a while. Bush etc. wrecked very much, Blair and much of Europe helped them. Then came Obama. Nobels for him and the EU. For peace? Yes, the EU on the whole has been a factor for peace and understanding and prosperity for decades, despite all the faults. But the EU failed to make peace in the 1990s in Yugoslavia. The US stepped in, finally. The whole thing is still very shameful and problematic in retrospect. And the EU was not helping. So the EU is not able to make or bring peace when war breaks out. Neither is Obama. And neither the EU on the whole nor Obama nor Hillary will address what U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders addresses. Trump addresses much the same frustrations. With lies. Cameron and Boris Johnson etc. addressed the frustrations with blaming the EU. With lies and rumours. So what will happen? We in Austria are having another run-off vote soon. The third vote on a new president in six or seven months. Let’s hope Alexander Van der Bellen wins again, or Austria will be worse than Hungary. I guess two factors might help van der Alexander Van der Bellen: Hillary Clinton and everyone not completely benighted together will be fighting Trump in September. Trump and the FPÖ are the same thing, only the latter is worse. We have not addressed this enough here in Austria, but we will have to. The second factor against the shameless liars is the prevailing feeling of Brexit regret.
via Rhys Goode
Photo by David Howard
BREXIT III
in 1996
austria voted to join the eu
i was either in china
or in romania
or in between
there was war
in yugoslavia
most of 1994
i taught german
to bosnian refugees
the eu did nothing
to stop the war
they said the economy
would be much better
one common currency
each person benefits
I didn’t believe them
but smallmindedness
there was a hope against smallmindedness
two thirds voted for the eu
yesterday i read in a paper
a chinese paper printed in europe
in bosnia they still hope to join
we know the eu is not perfect
but for bosnia there’s no other way
they say
what did austria do
close the balkan route
keep refugees out
some people say
austria encouraged them
to split up yugoslavia
in 1990
anyway is there another way
against orban
in every country or worse
is this a poem
or just thinking out loud
i don’t know
what will change
the eu is still rich
on the whole
it was a project
to help poorer countries
i don’t know if that’s true
fuck the tories
fuck thatcher
let it all unravel
i don’t know
i guess no-one knows
somehow europe
should stand together
somehow we say we
hope for each other
bosnia
greece
latvia
portugal
everyone scraping
hope 4 our children
europe
asia
africa
world
MW June 2016
BREXIT IV
it‘s a small mind after all
it’s a small mind after all
…..
MW June 2016
© Ronnie Niedermeyer, rn.co.at
BREXIT
everything is halted
they say
at least for a day
every is halting
every english
if britain takes leavening
everything is halting
if english or scottish or welsh
and northern something
everything has been halting
for refugees
for workers
for us
for eu
4 eme
4 everyone
with cream and sugar
allergic reactions
declared beforehand
as prescribed by brussels
everyone’s sproutin’
their leavenings
we had a vote here last month
green or brown
for president
there is a blue flower
it is beautiful
but in austrian german
in effect it means shit
reeking nazis
be glad you don’t have to have
such a vote
MW June 2016
BREXIT (II)
the moon
is an american football
MW June 2016
