Jürgen Schwalm: „Der Albtraum“, Tusche auf strukturiertem Papier, 1998

Dr. Krishna Srinivas (1913-2007)
WORLD POETRY
2. Band POETRY EUROPE
Madras India 1982

Jürgen Schwalm

 

Aber nun lebe ich nicht 

BUT NOW I DO NOT LIVE 

You took the bandage from my eyes
that I may see
and I became blind

You let in daylight
to blacken the film
of my illusions
and I became prone to deception

You played the tape
of the never changing
litany of your words –
to help- as you said
and I was crushed
by the effort of your conversions

You left me
only brief pauses
during which
I could not find myself any more –
You always wakened me
too soon and said:

The secret is adaptation –
I adapted myself
and now am no longer alive

 

Translated by Eric Vio
Die deutsche Fassung des Gedichtes steht in dem Sammelband:
Jürgen Schwalm: Arm in Arm und Wort für Wort – Gedichte aus sechs Jahrzehnten
Seemann Publishing 2020
ISBN: 9798598725467