De Amerikaanse dichter Charles Reznikoff werd op 30 augustus 1894 in New York geboren. Zie ook mijn blog van 30 augustus 2010 en alle tags voor Charles Reznikoff op dit blog.
Heart and Clock
Now the sky begins to turn upon its hub—
the sun; each leaf revolves upon its stem;
now the plague of watches and of clocks nicks away
the day—
ten thousand steps
tread upon the dawn;
ten thousand wheels
cross and criss-cross the day
and leave their ruts across its brightness
the clocks
drip
in every room—
our lives are leaking from the places,
and the day’s brightness dwindles into stars.
Winter Sketches
I
Now that black ground and bushes~
saplings, trees,
each twig and limb-are suddenly white with snow,
and earth becomes brighter than the sky,
that intricate shrub
of nerves, veins, arteries-
myself-uncurls
its knotted leaves
to the shining air.
Upon this wooded hillside,
pied with snow, I hear
only the melting snow
drop from the twigs.
II
Subway
In steel clouds
to the sound of thunder
like the ancient gods:
our sky, cement;
the earth, cement;
our trees, steel;
instead of sunshine,
a light that has no twilight,
neither morning nor evening,
only noon.
Coming up the subway stairs, I thought the moon
only another street-light —
a little crooked.
Charles Reznikoff (30 augustus 1894 – 22 januari 1976)
De coverfoto is uit 1932/33. In de kinderwagen zijn nichtje Camilla.