Ernst Jandl

rilke’s separation the unusual rilke and the usual rilke are stuck in their sameness the unusual rilke and the usual rilke would have stayed together the unusual rilke and the usual rilke would have to separate the unusual rilke and the usual rilke both knew it rilke’s breath 1 rilke breathed the air the good air 2 rilke breathed without pause rilke’s nose entrance and exit of the air it knew stench scent aroma handkerchief sniffles rilke’s name rilke said he when asked for his name rilke one said when asked for his name or never heard of him rilke, unrhymed rilke said he then he said cuke then quietly cloud rilke’s boat taking a stroke sitting there sitting there taking a stroke rilke’s drawer 1 he pulled out the drawer he put something in something was in there he pushed in the drawer 2 he pulled out the drawer something was in there he took something out he pushed in the drawer 3 he pulled out the drawer nothing was in there he put nothing in he left the drawer open rilke’s chest 1 he lifted up the lid he put something in something was in there he shut the lid 2 he lifted up the lid something was in there he took something out he shut the lid 3 he lifted up the lid nothing was in there he put nothing in he left the chest open rilke’s shoe rilke’s shoe was one of two each shoe of rilke’s was one of two rilke in shoes always wore two calf to calf stood rilke jutting up from his shoes rilke’s window he opened the window stuck his head out pulled his head in closed it he opened the window morning air rushed in evening air night air he closed the window rilke’s glass rilke took a glass filled it with water lifted it to his mouth drank rilke’s hand rilke’s hand and rilke’s hand hanging by his side rilke’s hand in rilke’s hand the one in the other rilke’s hand in the hand of another greeting him rilke’s hand at rilke’s mouth sensing it there rilke in conversation someone asks rilke answers rilke asks someone answers neither is very happy about it neither is very sad rilke’s reward this now was his reward nobody was certain what he meant rilke wept rilke’s contradiction and yet small and white and yet big and black and yet small and black and yet big and white and yet small and big and yet white and black and yet small and black and yet big and small and black rilke’s eyes rilke opened his eyes everything was visible nothing was invisible rilke shut his eyes nothing was visible everything was invisible rilke opened his eyes nothing was invisible everything was visible rilke shut his eyes nothing was visible nothing was invisible rilke’s weight rilke is being relieved of his weight so roughly does the earth raise her son Translated from the German

that never would he write his autobiography because his life seemed to him just so much filth that only a few points, bloody ones he still remembers but that he would never hesitate to reach into the filth to pull out what perhaps could serve as stuff for poetry his disgusting purpose in life * * * daß niemals er schreiben werde seine autobiographie daß ihm sein leben viel zu sehr als dreck erscheine daß auch nur wenige punkte, blutige er noch erinnere daß aber niemals er zögern werde in den dreck zu fassen um herauszuziehen was vielleicht einen stoff abgäbe für poesie seinen widerlichen lebenszweck