Hans Thill

Anyway we had dogs along
blond brush cuts hip-tall tassel hounds
more obedient than a shadow tugging at
the collar someone had stuffed our hearing gear with
paper and woven plaits
into our hair the cabbage curled
at our feet we

trod on slippery leaf ribs in the clearing
the alphabetical snow!

Crooked as commas we came into the copse
of half-loud wingbeats (the cold had
tuned our instruments) and made
motor noise: Barkas!
we called, Barkas! or crowed in overtones

(to think out how Bettine shrieked
when we walked across the carpet)

In the forest of the single picture
calls came out of our bellies in ancient languages.
We found the meridian established
the place with staffs and candlewax knotted
each time a dog skin into the quiet pines

Tents since then each one with a drum under its
skin as a pastime for expected
caravans scientific idiot test
infinity of names with which the elves are fed up

U svakom slučaju imali smo pse uz nas
svijetle četke čupavih lovaca do pojasa
poslušniji od sjene koja vuče
ogrlicu nama su papirom začepili
sluh i spleli su nam
u kosi pletenice kupus se kovrčao
pod našim stopalima mi

smo stupili na klizava rebra listova na čistini
alfabetskog snijega!

Iskrivljeni kao zarezi došli smo u šiprag
poluglasnog klepeta krila (hladnoća nam je
uštimala instrumente) i proizveli
zvuk motora: Barkas!
zvali smo Barkas! i graktali u visokim tonovima

(može se zamisliti kako Bettina viče
dok smo gazili po prostiraču)

U šumi jedine slike
zvalo je iz naših trbuha na starim jezicima.
Pronašli smo meridijan učvrstili
mjesto klipanima i voskom svijeća zavezali
po jedno pasje krzno u tihim borovima

Od tad u šatorima pohranjuje svatko po jedan bubanj
pod kožom kao razbibrigu za dolazeće
karavane znanstvene premostnice
beskonačnost imena čega su albumi i vilenjaci siti