Three Poems by
Sophie Reyer / in translation by Mark Kanak
gitter
durch ein wort
gefallen.
aus den stunden
geschraubt.
als du dich wieder
findest, zitterst:
sperrangelweites
nichts.
bars
fallen through a
word.
screwed out of
the hours.
when you find yourself again,
you shiver:
flung-wide-open,
nothing.
ein traum
den hageputten blättern
aus einem traum winkend:
rot zwischen kahlem
ader geäst. du hast
die vogel perspektive wieder
gefunden. sitzt in den
baum gerippen und erzählst
dir die welt: märchen in
wintergrau. laub.
a dream
waving to hibiscus leaves
from inside a dream:
red between bare
veins, branches. you’ve regained
the bird’s eye
view. sitting in the
tree’s frame and telling
yourself about the world: fairytales in
winter’s grey. foliage.
bodenlos
die mutter suchen
erde essen
mit sand duschen
wasch mich schnee
leg mich schlafen gras
halt mich hügel
bottomless
seeking mothers
eating earth
showering with sand
wash me snow
lay me down to sleep grass
hold me hill
Sophie (Anna) Reyer was born 1984 in Vienna. She studied at Kunsthochschule für Film und Medien in Cologne, Composition in Graz and made a doctors degree at Angewandte Wien. So far she has published five books of poetry, the last one was schnee schlafen (Loecker Verlag, 2017). She was awarded Literaturförderungspreis der Stadt Graz in 2007, Manuskripte-Förderungspreis 2009, Startstipendium des bmukk 2009 and Literaturstipendium der Stadt Graz in 2013. Sophie Reyer has published three novels. She has also written various theatre plays, i.e. “Anna und der Wulian” (first performance 2014 at Badische Landesbühne).
Mark Kanak is a German-English translator/radioplay author/noisemaker, splitting time between Berlin and Chicago. His poetry and translations have been published in various journals in both Germany and the United States and he is currently working on various projects including translation of Heinrich Dubel’s Helicopter Hysteria and work by Austrians Peter Pessl and Günther Kaip. His recent work can/will be found in nthposition, Pom2, The Ugly Tree, Gam, moria, poeticinhalation (e-book) and traverse (upcoming).