in the east

organ twisted in the ice-storm
repeat the people's fugue
the purple slaughter gas
belongs to disleafed stars

a troops’ wave of
shattered skulls silver limbs
dyes the night

falling ghosts sighing
in the shade of the ash
trees

thorns grip the city
the moon hunts women down
bleeding steps
wolves through the door

heart

wild heart gone white in the wood
dim fear
of death's gold
in grey clouds died
novemberevening
at the abattoir door
a mass of poor women clutched
baskets
of putrid flesh & viscera
bitter taste

evening’s blue dove
brought no appeasement
dark trumpet
through the elm's wet
goldleaves
a tattered flag of blood
smoking
in manic melancholy
a man listening
o their iron times
buried in the afterglow

the young girl’s
shape
stepped from the dark hallway
pale moon envelope
autumncourt
battered black conifers
in the night swell
a sheer rampart
o heart
shimmering in the yowdendrift

after ‘Im Osten’ and ‘Das Herz’ by Georg Trakl

Ollie Evans is a writer from London. His last book, Portraits of the Middleincomes (Contraband, 2017), features 'missed translations' of Henri Michaux, Clarice Lispector and Old English poetry. He is currently working on translations of German prose and poetry as well as writing a book based on his Austrian family history. Other poetry publications include: Splitter Echo (Gang Press, 2019); Kettles (Veer, 2013); High Digger’s From the Ear-far-out-wrung of these Thinkings (Stoma Press, 2013); The Chomedy (Redceilings, 2013); Dash Booked a Builder (RedCeilings Press, 2012) and Stutter Studies (Department, 2011). He was recently awarded 2nd place in The Stephen Spender Poetry in Translation Prize (2019) for translating a poem by Elfriede Gerstl.

Blog and books: orte.tumblr.com

Recordings: archive of the now