Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Thomas Kling

chaldaean catalog

night watch, cometess! old snow!
in the middle of the night, in summer, hissing,
light spittle trails, volley of a
blue-gleaming bolide! as if by wire
cracking by light tracers; a rare sight, such a
galactic screen of non-virtual depth-
effect. darting forward; bounding past,
and, far leaving behind, stripy
standing still, to disappear. another
one, he or she. already va-
nished. just like that a stag’s bound from here,
whistling, “as if from horse nostrils.” so, that
this sort of dots, tailed, hissing-
by dots, which for a while
(time’s nostril) stops still; and another
one. a small one. totally better than . . .,
didn’t they say back when, kolossal? the tower-
ing white slashes. drawing a thread.
hiss-pierced snow. us earless,
white-eyed under the blanket.

chaldäischer katalog

chaldäischer katalog

nachtwacht, kometin!, alter schnee!
zur nachtmitte, sommers, gezische.
lichtspeichelfährten, bollen eines
blauaufscheinendn bollids! wi-am-
schnürchn vorüberknickernde leucht-
spuren: seltener anblick, so eine
milchstraße, screen ächter tiefnwir-
kung. hinpfeilen; ein vorüberhechtn,
und, weites zurücklassn, streifiges
stehnbleibn, um zu verschwindn. wie-
der einer oder eine, schon verschwun-
dn. grad so hirschnsprung von hier,
gepfeif, “wie von nüstern”. also, daß
son pünktchn, geschwänztes, rüber-
pfauchndes pünktchn., der eine weile
(zeitnüster) stehenbleibt; und wieder
einer. kleiner. total besser als . . . ,
sagtn di altn nich: kolossal? der hoch-
getürmte weiße striem. ein fädnziehen.
durchzischter schnee. ohrlose wir,
weißäugig unter der decke.
Close

chaldaean catalog

night watch, cometess! old snow!
in the middle of the night, in summer, hissing,
light spittle trails, volley of a
blue-gleaming bolide! as if by wire
cracking by light tracers; a rare sight, such a
galactic screen of non-virtual depth-
effect. darting forward; bounding past,
and, far leaving behind, stripy
standing still, to disappear. another
one, he or she. already va-
nished. just like that a stag’s bound from here,
whistling, “as if from horse nostrils.” so, that
this sort of dots, tailed, hissing-
by dots, which for a while
(time’s nostril) stops still; and another
one. a small one. totally better than . . .,
didn’t they say back when, kolossal? the tower-
ing white slashes. drawing a thread.
hiss-pierced snow. us earless,
white-eyed under the blanket.

chaldaean catalog

night watch, cometess! old snow!
in the middle of the night, in summer, hissing,
light spittle trails, volley of a
blue-gleaming bolide! as if by wire
cracking by light tracers; a rare sight, such a
galactic screen of non-virtual depth-
effect. darting forward; bounding past,
and, far leaving behind, stripy
standing still, to disappear. another
one, he or she. already va-
nished. just like that a stag’s bound from here,
whistling, “as if from horse nostrils.” so, that
this sort of dots, tailed, hissing-
by dots, which for a while
(time’s nostril) stops still; and another
one. a small one. totally better than . . .,
didn’t they say back when, kolossal? the tower-
ing white slashes. drawing a thread.
hiss-pierced snow. us earless,
white-eyed under the blanket.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère