Jerome Rothenberg (USA): Four Landscapes

FOUR LANDSCAPES
Europa, on the Train

1
three who go across a bridge.
how often.
three who go across an auto route.
some fall & find the sessions sweet.
& some in silence at the last frontier.
a sudden racket.
bells in moscow mark the start of sleep.
a cause is lost.
an arm is open.
arm in arm.

2
clouds in the sky.
a swiss franc in the hand.
a brick that breaks in pieces.
a snail that rushes in.
today becomes tomorrow.
a wind upsets a wind.
they find a time for driving.
someone arrives in time.

3
girl with a bow in hair
& flowered dress:
remarkable.
the mother struggles up a hill
where no one finds her.
Saturday with ruffled sleeves.

4
the shadow of a cloud
is on the field.

the horses race inside the shadow.

half a field away
a burning tree.


© Jerome Rothenberg 2008