angel 

My angel's smile 
grows hard 
as she says:
'You're guilty 
of not being made 
according to specifications, 
I replace you 
with any of my dreams.'

1999-03-17

Die Wiederholung tut weh

Der Abend kommt, und der Regensturm,
einmal, zweimal und wieder.
Das Wasser stürzt, Wasser stürzt,
das Dach leckt, nicht gerichtet seit Jahren, 
da sie mir sagen, ich soll es nicht tun.
Kloake bricht durch die Kellerwände,
der Boden wird nass, die Wände schwärzer, 
vor Schimmel.

Der Abend kommt, Mutter trinkt
einmal, zweimal und wieder,
wütet, brüllt, verflucht die Männer,
während Vater sich in sein Zimmer schließt
und ich zu ihr flehe: beruhige dich doch,
einmal, zweimal und wieder.

Der Abend kommt, Großvater kommt
einmal, zweimal und wieder.
Der lustig Narr und Terrorist,
öffnet die Hose, zeigt mir seins,
schießt ab, dass nass wird mein Gesicht,
einmal, zweimal und wieder.

Der Morgen kommt, Großmutter lacht
einmal, zweimal und wieder.
Sie sagt, das bildest du dir nur ein.
Sagt: Das Kind ist in seiner egoistischen Phase,
tobt, trotzt, wütet, Schreihals, kleiner,
selbstsüchtig, verwöhnt, verzogen
von seinen dummen Eltern.

2010-03-26

Englische Version: The repetition hurts

Pricked 

When I went into the video store
and the girl said two fifty, I said: 
But I've already paid!
Yes, for yesterday.
But, do you mean 
that one has to return it on the same day?
Yes, she said, and added that her colleague told me of course.
He told me nothing!
Yes, he told me of course.
But you weren't even there!
I had started to shout, but
she knew her colleague, he told me of course.
He told me nothing! And a speck of foam
from my lips
settled on her bust, the shelves reeled
and my hand came 
- while with strange clarity 
I saw a great horn 
ramming her body through -
down on the counter
with a magnificent slap.
You needn't spit at me.
It wasn't intentional!,
I bellowed.

2003-12

The bright appraisers

On a hot day four men came into my house,
jeering at my new carpet in the hall, chucklingly
trampling up the rickety staircase, disdainfully 
walking over the great room, ticking off  "high 
ceilings which we don't need", boredly staring 
around the attic (later in their report declaring 
the entirely unexamined roofing beyond repair), 
not even bothering to enter my pretty room;
good-humoredly stepping out the front door, 
explaining they would, graciously, not subtract 
demolition cost from plot value because
that would leave me with a negative number, 
responding to my dumbfounded query whether 
they had, then, found the whole structure to be 
unsound with, amidst laughter, the hilarious 
statement that "we can't look into the walls!"

6. July / 1. November 2009