Poetry

Now all our ghosts are leaving us,their absence neatly packedwith chilling cries and slamming doors.We lack their fuelling lack. But how, you ask, and wait, aren’t ghostsrequired to serve our…

These poems are taken from Mildred Faintly’s just-published translation of the book, available from our bookstore here. Evensong(for my little sister) Place your little hand in mine,I’m here with you,…

Tortured by a thirst that wasn’t physical,I forced myself to stagger forwardacross a sunless desert.An angel with six wings,two at his shoulders, two at hips,two at heels—a seraph, appeared to…

A Local TV Weatherman Describes the Apocalypse So as we look at this, we can expect something like a woundmade of fire opening in the sky around this rotation here.Already…

Heroines Winsome daughters of dreams,women with long gold hair,they stand in a circle on the shore,their stance commanding, proud. Queens of legend, queens of love,noble their brows,and noble the slope…

translated from the German by Mildred Faintly Fortissimo You played a passionate song,I was afraid to ask what it was calledbecause I knew its name would say everythingthat had flowed…

d translated from the Yiddish by Mildred Faintly In the rich keen colors . . . In the rich keen colorsof a deeply overgrown gardenwhere willow trees hang their pallid…

The First of All Springtimes The serpent hung from her hips like a belt,its head stared up at me, a smug buckle.Her hat had, as an accent,not a bird-of-paradise featherbut…

translated from the Yiddish by Mildred Faintly A Veil Sometimes, it’s like I’m wearing a veil,I’m here and not here,veiled off and veiled in,and my steps synchronize with yours,invisible passers-by.…

Chilperic, the Frankish king, controlled northern Franceand had ambitions for north-west Germany.He was heading home one evening, gloomy and exhausted,his men were heavy laden with golden crosses,enameled silver ciboria and…