Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Lutz Seiler

in the year one, that was

scraping on the ground, scratched up
silence &
folded by death: winter flies.

the first – a wartime fall when
things have already been
run through by a nerve, ignited by

the air. across the field, the battue
brings back the gravity
of the tracks distances

shrink
& whoever
happens to be on the move vanishes
in his thoughts: you

see the fish spool men coughing in
great waves onto fragile strands. when
what merely travels scraps us, you hear

horses in the drain, clatter &
a breeze that
blows chemically up

from the sewers; you eavesdrop, bewitched, maybe
there are still magic spiders
squatting in the old radio voices, tiny, well
hidden, only
an itch in the ear
of relativity

Im Jahre eins, das war

Im Jahre eins, das war

das scharren am boden, aufgekratztes
schweigen &
vom tod gefaltet: winterfliegen.

das erste – ein kriegsherbst, wenn
die dinge schon von
einem nerv durchzogen sind, entzündet an

der luft. die treibjagd holt über
dem acker die schwerkraft
der gleise entfernungen

schrumpfen
& wer
gerade unterwegs gewesen ist, verschwindet
in seinen gedanken: du

siehst die fische spuln an zarten strähnen
männer, die in hohen wellen husten. wenn
das blos reisende uns abwirft, hörst du

pferde im abfluss, getrappel &
eine brise, die
aus den kanälen chemisch

aufwärts weht; du lauschst, gebannt, vielleicht
gibt es noch die zauber-spinnen, die
in den alten rundfunk-stimmen hocken, winzig, gut
verborgen, ein
juckreiz nur im ohr.
von relativität
Close

in the year one, that was

scraping on the ground, scratched up
silence &
folded by death: winter flies.

the first – a wartime fall when
things have already been
run through by a nerve, ignited by

the air. across the field, the battue
brings back the gravity
of the tracks distances

shrink
& whoever
happens to be on the move vanishes
in his thoughts: you

see the fish spool men coughing in
great waves onto fragile strands. when
what merely travels scraps us, you hear

horses in the drain, clatter &
a breeze that
blows chemically up

from the sewers; you eavesdrop, bewitched, maybe
there are still magic spiders
squatting in the old radio voices, tiny, well
hidden, only
an itch in the ear
of relativity

in the year one, that was

scraping on the ground, scratched up
silence &
folded by death: winter flies.

the first – a wartime fall when
things have already been
run through by a nerve, ignited by

the air. across the field, the battue
brings back the gravity
of the tracks distances

shrink
& whoever
happens to be on the move vanishes
in his thoughts: you

see the fish spool men coughing in
great waves onto fragile strands. when
what merely travels scraps us, you hear

horses in the drain, clatter &
a breeze that
blows chemically up

from the sewers; you eavesdrop, bewitched, maybe
there are still magic spiders
squatting in the old radio voices, tiny, well
hidden, only
an itch in the ear
of relativity
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère