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August Stramm, "Storm" and "Battle" (1914)

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II. “Battle” (1914)

Moaning wrestles
And
Stomps into the earth
Grappling chokes
Wriggles, ransacks and heaves
The heavens stand
And
Clasp torn by convulsions
Slashing crashes
And
Rings out piercingly to the ground
Knowledge stagnates
Hope trembles and scowls
Anticipation bleeds
Screaming advances upward
Life goes up in flames
The last fires
Sputter
Beasts
Sink their claws into
Death
Rising up
To the heavens.
Daylight dies
The night
Blooms around
The funeral shroud
The earth covers
And
Love forces open the womb
The stars tremble
Radiance bridges across
Time climbs up
And
Smiling collects drops
And
Collecting smiling
Smiling collecting striding
And
Collecting strides
Smiling striding fading away
And
Striding fades away
Fading away smiling striding
And
Fading away strides towards
The obstinate space.



Source: August Stramm, “Gewitter” [“Storm”] and “Schlacht” [“Battle”] (1914), in Das Werk [Works], edited by René Radrizzani. Wiesbaden: Limes Verlag, 1963, pp. 111-12, 77-78.

Translation: Richard Pettit

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