mah prihtjiedieh

Tjuvlesth mannem
dov dålle-njoektjeminie,
vierhkedh manneb,
baavhkh gaajhkh gierkie-baakoeh mov mïelkeste.

Girhkh manneb dov vueliejgujmie,
daarpesjeb vïhth
dabtedh

mah leah mijjen maadtegijstie sualadamme
mah prihtjiedieh, mah bihtsiedieh
mah voevten tjïrrh lååvesjieh

aellieh soptsesth –

mohte baajh mijjem gujhth
dov bangseminie
jårredh,

jah die sinsitnine bitnehtistedh.

© Johan Sandberg McGuinne
Producción de Audio: Haus für Poesie, 2019

Bittersweet

Kiss me
with your fiery tongue,
render me hollow,
tearing each calcified word, root by root, from my rib cage

Suffocate me with your songs,
I long to once again get swept up
in the echoes of everything that was once stolen from our ancestors

I need to feel the bitterness, that which burns my tongue,
and echoes through this hollow remnant of myself

do not speak –

but let us
dance on your lips,
drowning ourselves in their promise

Translated into English by Johan Sandberg McGuinne