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fromLetter in April: IV Read Poem

Already on the street
with our money clutched
in our hands,
and the world is a white laundry,
where we are boiled and wrung
and dried and ironed,
and smoothed down
and forsaken
we sweep
back
in children’s dreams
of chains and jail
and the heartfelt sigh
of liberation
and in the spark trails
of feelings
the fire eater
the cigarette swallower
come
to light
and we pay
and distance ourselves
with laughter.

fromLetter in April: VII Read Poem

On the street
with our money
clutched
in our hands,
buying bread
and scattering breadcrumbs
for the bluish
doves.

Paying
to see
the fire eater,
the cigarette swallower
and the dead vagabond
who breathes.

Greeting
the palm tree
that sighs
at night.

Saying a few words
to the staring
stone figure
above the gate.

Laughing
and rushing
in
as if chased.

In the cool kitchen
we prepare
and arrange our food.

We make it as elegant
as we can.

Bouquet on the table
and all.

And we speak
in our own
clear
language.

Who knows
if things don’t
know in themselves
that we’re called
something else.

fromLight: Blue Poles Read Poem

Tonight, away begins to go
farther away, and the dream
what do we know of the dream
metallic leaps Jackson Pollock
silvery streams Jackson Pollock
I gaze across the sea

see in the distance your walk and you
pass the Pacific, distant and blue
phallus and Moloch pace my view
on into otherness

on into otherness?

are we in the world after or before
are we or are we not magnetic force
it is apparently me you inform:

genesis woman dream that begins
tonight to go farther away
tonight to reach farther away
metallic leaps Jackson Pollock
silvery streams Jackson Pollock
on across the blue sea

fromLight: “I always thought reality” Read Poem

I always thought reality
was something you became
when you grew up.

In the square stands Fata Morgana
looking tired, shouting
Morning paper—morning paper.

fromLight: “If I stand” Read Poem

If I stand
alone in the snow
it is clear
that I am a clock

how else would eternity
find its way around

fromLight: “It’s very strange” Read Poem

It’s very strange
the eggs are everywhere

There must be some mistake
the eggs are so close together

There seems to be no room for us
Push the eggs closer together

It’s impossible
We must get closer together

but beloved what will happen
with all the eggs everywhere

what will happen everywhere
to us

There must be some mistake

fromLight: Men’s Voices Read Poem

Men’s voices in the dark
—once in a temple—
men’s voices in the sun
—once I was caryatid
number nine—
men’s voices in the park
—I was a statue
untouchable naked
with no other mirror
than the fingers of the air
yielding to thought after thought
with no other sadness
than the rustling of leaves—
men’s voices in the park:
why did they waken me?

fromLight: Winter Read Poem

Winter is out for a lot this year
the beach already is stiff
all will be one will be one this year
wings and ice will be one in the world
all will be changed in the world:
the boat will hear its steps on the ice
the war will hear its war on the ice
the woman will hear her hour on the ice
the hour of birth in the ice of death
winter is out for a lot.

Out for the houses the cities
out for the forests the clouds
the mountains the valleys fear
the heart the children peace.

Winter is out for a lot this year
the hand already is stiff
the crying of children is heard in the house
one will we be one life
I hear my house slip with the world
and scream all that has been screamed
the heart rams its boat into ice
shells rustling in the hull
winter is out for as much.

If I freeze fast in the ice
if you freeze fast my child
my great forest next summer
my great fear as I come
if you freeze fast my life:
then I am a vulture of wings and ice
tearing my liver, my living life
awake in eternity.

This winter is in for a lot.

So here I stand Read Poem

so here I stand by theout there is theand it looks like theis always alone with thebut around behind thethe water stops atand just behindice drifts in theand just behind thethere’s solid ice at theand just behind theit looks like theis all alone with thebut around in back of theit looks likehas always seen onlybut behindat last is theit looks like theis always alone with thebut around behind theice drifts in theand just behind thethere’s solid ice at theand just behind thethere’s water again in theand just behind thethe water stops atand just behindsome water again in theand just behind theit looks likeis all alone withbut around in back ofthere’s water again in theand just behind theit looks likeis always alone withbut right behindthere’s theit looks like theis all alone with thebut right behind thethere’slooking likeis all alone justbut around behindthere’sand just behindthere’s theplaned and chrome platedbeneath a dome of lightso here I stand by theall alone by theevening June 24th
Barents SeaBarents SeaBarents SeaBarents SeaBarents SeaSpitzbergenSpitzbergenArctic OceanArctic OceanNorth PoleNorth PoleBeaufort SeaBeaufort SeaBeaufort SeaAlaskaAlaskaAlaskaPacific OceanPacific OceanPacific OceanPacific OceanAntarctic OceanAntarctic OceanSouth PoleSouth PoleSouth AtlanticSouth AtlanticAfricaAfricaMediterraneanMediterraneanTurkeyTurkeyTurkeyBlack SeaBlack SeaRomaniaRomaniaRomaniaSoviet UnionSoviet UnionSoviet UnionSoviet UnionFinlandFinlandFinlandFinlandFinnmarkFinnmarkBarents SeaBarents SeaBarents Sea

from Light: “If I stand” Read Poem

If I stand

alone in the snow

it is clear

that I am a clock

how else would eternity

find its way around

from Light: “I always thought reality” Read Poem

I always thought reality

was something you became

when you grew up.

In the square stands Fata Morgana

looking tired, shouting

Morning paper—morning paper.

from Light: “It’s very strange” Read Poem

It’s very strange

the eggs are everywhere

There must be some mistake

the eggs are so close together

There seems to be no room for us

Push the eggs closer together

It’s impossible

We must get closer together

but beloved what will happen

with all the eggs everywhere

what will happen everywhere

to us

There must be some mistake

from Light: Blue Poles Read Poem

Tonight, away begins to go

farther away, and the dream

what do we know of the dream

metallic leaps Jackson Pollock

silvery streams Jackson Pollock

I gaze across the sea

see in the distance your walk and you

pass the Pacific, distant and blue

phallus and Moloch pace my view

on into otherness

on into otherness?

are we in the world after or before

are we or are we not magnetic force

it is apparently me you inform:

genesis woman dream that begins

tonight to go farther away

tonight to reach farther away

metallic leaps Jackson Pollock

silvery streams Jackson Pollock

on across the blue sea

from Letter in April: IV Read Poem

Already on the street

with our money clutched

in our hands,

and the world is a white laundry,

where we are boiled and wrung

and dried and ironed,

and smoothed down

and forsaken

we sweep

back

in children’s dreams

of chains and jail

and the heartfelt sigh

of liberation

and in the spark trails

of feelings

the fire eater

the cigarette swallower

come

to light

and we pay

and distance ourselves

with laughter.

from Letter in April: VII Read Poem

On the street

with our money

clutched

in our hands,

buying bread

and scattering breadcrumbs

for the bluish

doves.

Paying

to see

the fire eater,

the cigarette swallower

and the dead vagabond

who breathes.

Greeting

the palm tree

that sighs

at night.

Saying a few words

to the staring

stone figure

above the gate.

Laughing

and rushing

in

as if chased.

In the cool kitchen

we prepare

and arrange our food.

We make it as elegant

as we can.

Bouquet on the table

and all.

And we speak

Poems by Inger Christensen

Inger Christensen (16 January 1935 – 2 January 2009) was a Danish poet, novelist, essayist and editor. She is considered the foremost Danish poetic experimentalist of her generation.

Poems