Li Xun
BROKEN RELICS
one sock, with no elastic
potted plants, dying
cheap coat hangers
old cell phones
old-fashioned sunglasses
piggy banks. old change.
old toys
scarves out of season
DVDs you don’t watch anymore
medicine after the date
old perfume
stuff from a former lover
movie ticket stumps
empty flower pots
throw away the watering can
old alarm clock
and the time no longer ticking
Tr. MW, December 2016
Sheli (Sarira)
SURVEYOR
his right arm was entirely
stuck in the Gobi
like a root of a tree
when the search team reached
his desiccated body
they heard very clearly
tick-tock, tick-tock
his watch
down below
Tr. MW, September 2016
Sheli (Sarira)
FELDMESSER
sein rechter arm war ganz
fest verwurzelt
tief in der gobi
als der suchtrupp
seinen ausgetrockneten körper erreichte
war etwas ganz deutlich zu hören
tick-tack, tick-tack
aus der vergrabenen
armbanduhr
Übersetzt von MW im September 2016
BLUMEN
die blumen auf meinem tisch sind für dich
die blumen auf meinem tisch sind für dich
sie sind für meine oma
für meine frau
für meine mutter
für meine tochter
für jede frau die blumen mag
die blätter wiegen sich auf den bäumen
die blätter werden noch einmal rot
die blätter treiben den fluss hinunter
die blätter kommen
auf dem dachfirst sitzen die tauben
am strand in der früh
glänzen die steine wie karamell
der fluss ist klar
gestern hab ich gebadet
es gibt reiher und enten und andere vögel
wildgänse ziehen
hoch oben nach westen
im wald ist ein wasserfall
und dann noch einer den bach hinauf
wo wir wohnen ist eine schule
volkschule hauptschule und noch ein college
man sieht hoch übers tal
in einem geschäft bald nach der tankstelle
gibt es eine küche für frisches essen
dort hängt eine uhr
die geht nach links
die ziffern verkehrt
die hängt schon lange
die leute wissen nicht wo sie herkommt
die blumen auf meinem tisch sind für dich
MW October 2014
FLOWERS
the flowers on my desk are for you
the flowers on my desk are for you
they are for my granny
for my wife
for my mother
any woman who likes them
the leaves are rocking up in the trees
they get red one more time
they float down the river
the leaves are coming
the pigeons are on top of the roof
in the morning
caramel rocks wet on the beach
the water is clear
yesterday I went in again
herons, kingfishers, ducks, other birds
wild geese migrate
high up in formation
why are they going west
not straight south?
in the woods there is a waterfall
up the brook there’s another
where we stay there’s a school
elementary, high school, state college
from the college up on the hill
you see the whole valley
in a store after the gas station
you can get breakfast, fried stuff and such
at the counter they have a clock
clock goes the left way
numbers all backwards
people there say they don’t know where it came
the flowers on my desk are for you
MW October 2014
gihon is one of the waters of paradise
under our windows in johnson town.
how long did adam and eve have their residence?
maybe four weeks. not even that.
then they were driven to the next airport.
it was the snake. it was the tree.
it was the apple. it was the gas station
stocked with the cider. the chinese restaurant.
actually god is a jolly old fellow
tells everyone how they founded the place.
god has the breadth. god has the width of it.
maybe the masons one hundred years ago
building their temple, leaving their clocks –
there is that clock down in the grocery store
clock that goes leftwards, numbers all turned –
maybe the masons were like the hippies.
anyway if you are in paradise
most of the time it is just life.
you tell your wife you are in paradise.
you tell your husband, you tell the kids.
they will say nice, hope you are coming back.
then you are gone. maybe you come again.
I’m sure the river stays for a while.
MW October 2014
