How small life is here
and how big nothingness.
The sky, tired of light,
has given everything to the snow.
The two trees bow
their heads to each other.
Clouds cross the world’s
silence in a circle dance
Robert Walser (Switzerland, 1878-1956)
from Oppressive Light. Selected Poems by Robert Walser. Translated from German by Daniele Pantano, with an introduction by Carolyn Forche. Black Lawrence Press, Tra edition 2012. ISBN 978-1936873180
The cover image is an artwork by Dan Peterman (Kassel Ingot Project, Iron, 2017) which has been on show at Documenta 14 in Kassel