Celebrating ten years of this blog with two new versions of one of the first poems published here: “My City Calls” typed up as a cityscape around a Gothic Cathedral and as a church bell.
The additional letters at the end might be the notes of the bells – but they are also a clue to the identity of the city!
You can click on the visual poems to read the text more clearly and go to the plain text via the link above.
wieviele monde sind uns noch beschieden die ungeahnten sonnenglanz vergießen wieviele rosen werden uns noch sprießen aus blut und duft als wäre leben lieben? wieviele strände dürfen wir genießen im wilden norden und im kargen süden wo winde endlos sich mit wellen wiegen wieviele sommer sind uns noch geblieben? du bist der tiefversteckte rosengarten den ich nach langem suchen langem warten betrübt doch immer hoffnungsvoll betrat. du bist der mond der gleich der sonne leuchtet du bist die brandung die den sand befeuchtet du bist die erde wie am ersten tag.
This sonnet forms the basis of a cycle of 14 poems, whereby each line furnishes the first line of a new sonnet (Continental pattern). Watch this space for the rose garden project (ROSENGARTEN).
This cycle is not about gardens alone or about islands, although many far-flung places will be reflected in these lines: it is about finding love and happiness, going through life together, finding liveable spaces…
Word cloud of ten German sonnets (rosengarten I-X), generated on the Simple Word Cloud Generator. In the chance arrangement, words picked out by size and colour form the sentence: “how many rose gardens where we, (O) you, may yet live?”
P.S.: You can now view a word cloud of all 14 sonnets at WordItOut and have it printed on a mousemat or mug or fridge magnet!
The first poem of the year takes place in Roman streets again, in the midst of Cologne, in Sankt Andreas, the mighty mediaeval church right opposite the Cathedral. When you descend into the crypt, you are pretty close to antiquity. All around, Roman walls are displayed, or simply still standing.
For an English poem about Cologne with a similar content and in a similar style, see My City Calls (Grey Roofs Grey Walls). There, it is the city itself which provides comfort and hope, as religious faith does here. I noticed the striking parallel only yesterday on relaunching my poetry blog!
Your face, lit up, perhaps, by me, eclipses morning star and moon – one word from you, or more, maybe, would freeze the clock at burning noon.
Don’t stop your step, don’t hold your breath, don’t soothe yourself it is too soon: this is the life as strong as death that you have craved for. Let it bloom.
The title, something like “kissing away” or “kissing apart” encapsules the message: I invented the word to describe the act of kissing as cancelling the distance between two people.
Ich nehme die Straße der Wolken am Abend, behutsame Brandung aus goldener Gischt, bei Nacht aber über dem langsamen Rade der Sterne die Straße aus silbernem Licht.
Verbleichende Landstriche harren des Regens, verdorrende Büsche erflehen sich Frucht,– und ich bete stumm um das Glück meines Lebens, umschlungen von seligem Hochsommerduft.
The German word for ‘Midsummernight’ sounds the same, but refers to July and August rather than solstice. A person yearns for a companion as the earth and the plants yearn for water. This poem was written in the great heat and draught of 2018 (which I personally enjoyed… rather like a cactus!).
Christina Egan 