licked by a dog’s tongue, oversized
the elbian shoreline is clear like spring
the flotsam is hidden in the boscage
four meters higher than the crashing
of the low slow and ever mumbling waves.
in climbs of bushes, lemon green,
that turn plain-coloured, sight unseen.
a frogman emerged from the water
his black suit shining like a lump of tar
who started diving at the lowest tide
the outlines opaque, ill-defined
in the nautical dawn of hamburg, meine perle.
big enough for two
made of samphire, driftwood, fairyland bamboo
given a shove by the stiff breeze
the absent look fixed to the cranes
in blue-grey, celeste, tangerine
let barges pass and low scows pass
till he becomes flotsam himself
a ready made
objet trouvé
pallid and cavernous
and be
caught in an everlasting dialogue
with shipyards, floaters, skips and seagulls
on their brisk way to wilhelmsburg.
In 2018 the sculptures and the poem were exhibited as part of Altonale 20 at Walka Ottensen, in Hamburg / Germany.