Sleeping Food

As a continuation of exploring counter-point/juxtapostion in poetry to create a kind of dialogue in the reader’s mind, these are experiments to find out whether a title – or what presents itself as a title typographically – could function as a first line in a poem. Normally we read the title as a more or less comprehensive catch-phrase of what the text below it will reveal, but in this case the following phrase/poem will be in juxtaposition to what the title proposes. The basic presumption is that “the space” between the two parts creates a room for the reader to enter. I hope it works.

MENTALLY AN OVERRIPE PLUM

suck
shoe
suck

.

SHE DOESN’T LIFT HER FEET

blackshirts taken

.

I’M SURE THE BEACH WON’T MIND

your eye’s a bridge swelling

.

CACOPHONY

easel

.

IT’S MY BRAIN IN YOUR NUTSHELL

one stone four falling with the sparrows

.

TIME SITS ON A BLUE 3-LEGGED STOOL

always she’s closer

.

IT’S A KIND OF MECHANICAL SLEEP

an omelet enters a now

.

ALL THOSE YELLOW HOUSES

someone else
with a parrot

.

MORNING DROP

bird black bird

.

I MEANT TO POST A CRYING EMOJI BUT IT CAME OUT A GOLFER

all that beach and no gulls

.

FOREIGN

[music]

in hand

.

DID SHE JUST SING THE WORD UMLAUT?

sausage cloud

.

RE SISTING

laces

.

YOU NEVER KNOW THIS TIME

mind gravel

.

PEAR

take this this

.

OH, HE MISSED!

a
finger
left
in
silence

.

FOOTPRINTS

but if the waters won’t

.

INTUITED TOMATO

the spellchecker doesn’t believe in Attenborough

.

EMPTY BUT FOR HATS

sleeping food

La Peñuela

in
La Peñuela
in 1591

every
flame

had
a drop
of water

inside

and

every
drop
of water

had
a flame

inside

i
La Peñuela
i 1591

havde
enhver
flamme

en dråbe
vand

indeni

og

enhver
dråbe
vand

havde
en flamme

indeni

insp. by St. John of the Cross

poems

As a continuation of exploring counter-point/juxtapostion in poetry to create a kind of dialogue in the reader’s mind, these are experiments to find out whether a title – or what presents itself as a title typographically – could function as a first line in a poem. Normally we read the title as a more or less comprehensive catch-phrase of what the text below it will reveal, but in this case the following phrase/poem will be in juxtaposition to what the title proposes. The basic presumption is that “the space” between the two parts creates a room for the reader to enter. I hope it works.

…*…

THE LONGEST DAY EVER RECORDED
when you turn your head the pain subsides

.

DEN LÆNGSTE DAG DER NOGENSINDE ER MÅLT

når du drejer hovedet aftager smerten

:

THE DENTIST ISN’T IN TODAY

I’ve only seen the Eiffel Tower

.

TANDLÆGEN ER HER IKKE I DAG

jeg har kun set Eiffeltårnet

:

FRIDAY

have you noticed the nails are bleeding?

.

FREDAG

har Du lagt mærke til at sømmene bløder?

:

YOU LOOK AT THE COBWEB IN THE CEILING AND SIGH

it’s no use
the pizza
sleeps

DU SER PÅ SPINDELVÆVET I LOFTET OG SUKKER

det nytter ikke noget
pizzaen
sover

:

ELEGY

she always tries to smile backwards

.

ELEGI

hun prøver altid at smile baglæns

:

NOT YOU, YOU CAN’T SHUT UP

every drop
’s full
of rain

.

IKKE DIG, DU KAN IKKE HOLDE KÆFT

enhver dråbe
r fuld
af regn

monostich

like my father and mother I have the sky above me

som min far og mor har jeg himlen over mig

.

today the rain doesn’t care if you’re a hipster or a beggar

i dag er regnen ligeglad med om du er hipster eller tigger

.

arrogantly I think the cornflower in me is my own doing

arrogant tænker jeg at kornblomsten i mig er én jeg har groet selv

.

stay out long enough and the wind will take your place

vær ude længe nok og vinden vil tage din plads

.

I didn’t stop the sunlight from crawling across the table

jeg forhindrede ikke sollyset i at kravle over bordet

.

sometimes an apple sleeps

nogle gange sover et æble

.

do they talk when they cannot paint?

snakker de når de ikke kan male?

.

someone’s tearing up the street

en eller anden river gaden op

.

looks like he’s proud of his jackhammer

ser ud til at han er stolt af sit trykluftbor

.

four lighters on the table and spring has begun

fire lightere på bordet og foråret er begyndt

.

time doesn’t stop when you change the date

tiden står ikke stille når du retter på datoen