Allen Ginsberg dying

Allen Ginsberg is dying
It's in all the papers
It's on the evening news
A great poet is dying
But his voice
                     won't die
His voice is on the land
In Lower Manhattan
in his own bed
he is dying
There is nothing
to do about it
He is dying the death that everyone dies
He is dying the death of the poet
He has a telephone in his hand
and he calls everyone
from his bed in Lower Manhattan
All around the world
late at night
the telephone is ringing
This is Allen
                      the voice says
Allen Ginsberg calling
How many times have they heard it
over the long great years
He doesn't have to say Ginsberg
All around the world
in the world of poets
there is only one Allen
I wanted to tell you he says
He tells them what's happening
what's coming down
on him
Death the dark lover
going down on him
His voice goes by satellite
over the land
over the Sea of Japan
where he once stood naked
trident in hand
like a young Neptune
a young man with black beard
standing on a stone beach
It is hightide and the seabirds cry
The waves break over him now
and the seabirds cry
on the San Francisco waterfront
There is a high wind
There are great whitecaps
lashing the Embarcadero
Allen is on the telephone
His voice is on the waves
I am reading Greek poetry
The sea is in it
Horses weep in it
The horses of Achilles
weep in it
here by the sea
in San Francisco
where the waves weep
They make a sibilant sound
a sibylline sound
Allen
         they whisper
                             Allen

© L.F.
unveröffentlichtes Manuskript,
Audio production: 2004 M.Mechner / Literaturwerkstatt Berlin

Die Küste der roten Algen

ich wohne an der küste der roten algen
und habe noch nie einen schal
aus einem fuchs um den hals getragen
in der abwesenheit von licht
würden jene ruhen sagen die krokodiljäger
während an der küste der roten algen
das überhaupt nicht der fall ist
vielleicht weil es da keine krokodile gibt
und die algen pflegen blau zu sein
an meinen fußsohlen zu kleben
und ergebene mitschwimmer zu sein
die man sich kaum vorstellen kann
wenn man es nicht gelernt hat
initialen auf der meeresoberfläche einzuritzen
in der ahnung dass das für sie einen sinn hat

Aus dem Serbischen von Jelena Dabić