Winter


A dog shrieks in misery from a bridge
To heaven... which stands like old gray stone
Upon far-off houses. And, like a rope
Made of tar, a dead river lies on the snow.
Three trees, black frozen flames, make threats
At the end of the earth. They pierce
With sharp knives the rough air,
In which a scrap of bird hangs all alone.
A few street lights wade towards the city,
Extinguished candles for a corpse. And a smear
Of people shrinks together and is soon
Drowned in the wretched white swamp.



The Operation


In the sunlight doctors tear a woman apart.
Here the open red body gapes. And heavy blood
Flows, dark wine, into a white bowl. One sees
Very clearly the rose-red cyst. Lead gray,
The limp head hangs down. The hollow mouth
Rattles. The sharp yellow chin points upward.
The room shines, cool and friendly. A nurse
Savors quite a bit of sausage in the background.