poems by Cornelia Becker
Translated by: Rosangela De Araujo and Erica Hayes
Snow Poem
my loving you hands
freeze in winter
when snow drifts through dark nights
they glow neon coloured in my dreams
when wanting to grasp you
from my loving you hands
slips the knife, the fish, the gown
they draw your ear, your mouth but yet
my loving your hands are blind
in my loving you hands
grows up the child like a tom thumb
and smiles at us
my loving you hands
dig in snow for you
at the break of dawn you´ll be redeemed
from your ruff of frost and fishbones
from my loving you hands
and they set you free.
For A. January, 4th 2021
Translated by : Rosangela De Araujo
Atmen
breathe
a dry piece of wood you said, not that, I can’t bear it!
too soon, much too soon is your body, shrunk and tied up, a wooden
thing, nothing stays in there, no food, no fluid, and now before the very end, no air,
your breath falters and stifles
although I placed the shoes with heels bedwards so that the bugaboo could not rise
I see him riding on your chest, slowly he squeezes your body, pushing out the last drop of life so that no tear can fit between
breathe, you are gasping, staring at the black screen in front of you, breathe, you are pleading, and forehead to forehead I am breathing for you, hear smell breathe
nose, mouth to your mouth, breathing with you, for you, feeling your will power, your resistence, but you can’t find my rhythm any more
I’m breathing for you, for us, you cannot find me anymore, not anymore in breathing
shortly thereafter your breathing stops
I breathe in.
Translated by : Erika Hayes
Du Bist Mein Fernstes Land
you are my furthest land
not drawn on any map
when I close my eyes
I’m resting in your furlike forest soil
and you smell like the prettiest animal
you – with you I want to be
permanently I travel to meet you
my magnetic pole
with eyes wide open I’m turning around my own axis
and never reach to you.
Translated by : Erica Hayes
Cornelia Becker has written short stories, radio plays and lyrical prose which have been published in literary journals and on the radio (Aufbau-Verlag, Rowohlt, Eichborn, LangenMüller, etc.). In 2009 the audio book MagentaRot was published as a collection of short stories; only two years later, the volume of short stories Eintritt frei was printed in the Achter-Verlag. In August 2014 she produced the novel Die Unsterblichkeit der Signora Vero in the LangenMüllerVerlag. She published the artist’s book Die Kinder meines Vaters in the BÜBÜL publishing house. (The book has been translated into Arabic since 2018.) Her novel Der raue Gesang was releast by Contra-Bass-Verlag in summer 2017. She received awards and scholarships for her work.Her writing process is often accompanied by mixed-media designs, so called Käfterchen, wich support the exploration and investigative movement.
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