THE HEART’S SKIN

You went down through the woods laughing

A dilapidated wall along the route

For a few moments

We saw some people

Houses not far away

And they won’t abandon you

Going by the house which is too low and its floors

In front of those who were returning

They were singing

Something else waited for us further away

We had to return often

The door was closed

And this sad and ridiculous face

Which made us tremble

I left someone far away from me

I remained alone among strangers

And I couldn’t remember why I’d come

I changed my face and my voice

And those who knew me no longer recognised me

The sun in the rain puddle is delayed

A window which the violent wind had closed

In another time we were face to face

And little by little I feel my shadow disappear

(from The Oval Skylight, 1916)

FACE

He hardly knows where you’re from

In spite of the line that marks you

In spite of the tracks round your cheeks

And the movements of your hands

He doesn’t want you to leave

On the chair there’s nothing but a hole

A vague form in the shadow

The charcoal portrait in the darkest corner

Almost nothing

Someone moves a hand over the wall

The wind grows angry in the shutters

Everything’s closed until morning

He’ll be far away down the road

From Roof Slates (1918)

YOU OR ME

Fallen asleep in this room

He no longer dares to wake

Fear closes his dark dream

And his limbs

Can no longer support him

I’m abandoning you it’s time to go

If one loves no other than oneself

I’m leaving you because I love you

And because I have to keep walking

One day we’ll cross paths again perhaps

Where memories meet

Where stories from the past return

Then you’ll come towards me

We’ll be able to laugh

A hope barely glimpsed

In the wind of a bitter cry

The voice which could guide me

Will be silent at my approach

In the street bordered with songs

Bursting from the windows

At the corner of the last houses

We watched each other disappear

(from Sources of the Wind, 1929)

BEHIND THE STATION

A cloud comes right down

There where there’s an emptiness

                                    Next to me

                                    A hole

Far away something ends

A great noise

                 is extinguished

And I see people

      In my head a mad world

It’s you

And I don’t recognise anyone

      what a life

            It’s still not over

A deep line on the forehead

It’s clear as crystal

Something at my fingertips which hurts

            When I knew you

When I held onto you

Certainly something was falling

            A false set of jewels

And you didn’t even see my face

              The door turned

              Someone laughed

                        It was so far away

Where one would be lost now

(from Sources of the Wind, 1929)

HEART TO HEART

Finally here I am standing

I passed by there

Someone else is passing there now

Like me

Without knowing where he’s going

I trembled

At the bottom of the room the wall was dark

And he trembled also

How would I cross the threshold of this door

You could cry out

            No one hears

You could weep

            No one understands

I found your shadow in the darkness

It was softer than you yourself

Other times

It was sad in the corner

Death has brought you this peace

But you’re talking you’re still talking

I would like to leave you

If only there were a little air

If the outside would let us see clearly again

It’s suffocating

The ceiling's heavy on my head and shoves me away

Where will I stay where will I go

I don’t have enough space to die

Where are those footsteps in the other direction going

Down there far away

My shadow and me alone

Night coming down

(from Sources of the Wind, 1929)