Imagine
that leaden words
fell upon a little girl,
happily asleep
in a garden.
Imagine
that her father scolded her
because she disappeared in a world of dreams
and did not listen to what he said.
Imagine
that the girl were heavy
and lugged her body
along,
cursing all the time.
Imagine
that the girl became a woman,
and, stooping,
had her gaze always turned to the ground.
Image
that there were tons of lead in her head,
forty long years,
and curses throughout her life,
curses cutting her down.
Imagine!
Vienna, Amerlinghaus, 28 June 2000
(translated from German by Wolfgang Astelbauer.
”Aus dem Teppich meiner Schatten”, edition selene, Vienna 2002)