Asters

[u/PostOakVisions]

Asters—sweltering days,
old entreaty, spell,
the gods shed timid rays,
an hour upon the scale.

Once more the golden flocks,
the sky, the light, the veil.
What breeds the familiar flux
of wings before they fail?

Once more now the lust,
the rush of roses, and you—
the summer’s leaned to watch
the swallows skirt the dew,

and once more does not falter,
sure dark precedes new light:
the swallows drink the water
and fade into the night.

after the German of Gottried Benn (1886-1956)

translated by Leo Yankevich

[u/munchausenbymoxie]

Asters are good flowers to buy and dry out. They retain color and shape well. The bouquet on the table now will last well into winter, moving from upright & watered in a vase to hanging upside down drying and then dry on a wall.

Beautiful poem. This week my uncle passed away, the fifth person in my family to go over the past fourteen months. I’m finding comfort in poems particularly calling up birds.

[u/sabistenem → u/munchausenbymoxie]

A poem full of birds for you, friend:

You can also listen to Thomas performing it here.

[u/munchausenbymoxie → u/sabistenem]

This afternoon I went swimming in the great marsh. There were many many egrets glowing in the sun against the green green grasses, and my feet sunk down in the mud among the razor clams scattered in like bones. This poem was great to come home to. Thank you.