Erdbeer-Pfluecken

[vagabond]

Erdbeer-Pfluecken


Wenn die Zeit zum Erdbeer-Pfluecken da ist 
dann wandere ich ueber Berge von zerbrochenen Koerpern 
manchmal; ueber die teergluehende Strasse 
und sammle in kleinen Gruppen saure Pilze - 
kaempfe den Winter mit einem Laecheln zurueck; 
zurueck aus einem weinenden Gesicht: 
-Gott steh’ mir bei! Es tut mir leid.

 thank you for posting this (and i guess it makes no difference which forum you post it in though it´s bizarre to put it in fun)

to me this speaks of the time after world war II. getting ready to pick strawberries but finding only bitter mushrooms. (it´s your poem but i keep wanting to read bitter instead of sour).

i think your english version is clearer in connecting the broken bodies and the mushrooms.
(the german version has the "teerglühende straße" in between the broken bodies and the mushrooms, which prevented me from understanding it first.. but, come to think of it that fact makes a striking metaphor about a german reader)

 the broken bodies buried.. what a painful disturbing image to make little groups of mushrooms from them. and in a cruel, cold way it´s plain and true.  future builds on past.