Tuesday 1 May 2012

Poem from the collection 'Live' just out by the Danish poet Klaus Høeck



 
                  language


                  can i have a hof?
a what? – comes a shout so panes
                  and glasses rattle
                  the inn lady looks
sharply at me – of course she
                  knows full well what a
                  hof is – but here in
nørre snede can i have
                  a beer – here in nør
                  re snede you don’t
give yourself airs – got the mes
                  sage mister smart arse

                  so do the dia
lects cross swords as in a ven
                  detta the waitress
                  answers completely
differently to what i
                  had expected ‘to
                  day’s menu meat
loaf followed by strawberries’
                  neither more nor less
                  to put it in a
nutshell take it or leave it –
                  that’s the way it is

                  not to mention the
parting short in the inn lounge
                  at nørre snede
                  i notice that the
coffee hasn’t been put on
                  the bill and draw at
                  tention to the o
mission – you don’t need to pay
                  anything for that
                  my lad – i mean that
is just bloody fantastic
                  would you credit it

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