Thick of It

Ulrike Almut Sandig was born in Großenhain in 1979 and grew up in Saxony. She has published two books of short stories, Flamingos and Book Against Disappearing, and four volumes of poetry. Karen Leeder is a writer, translator, and academic and teaches German at New College, Oxford.

• Translator’s Introduction you wrote yourself the poem of itNORTH slender shadows my friends so I’ve been told Tamangur foam like sunshine, like winter, like wind geese chorusbeing inspected behind my eyes nightmare for the beast my dog’s heart shining practice for being away heavy creatures of the skies from the plane you see was once catfish one apple, two cups forgotten denuded trees friends still laughingred rover, red roverlet’s flatten the grass, keep quiet, keep still to the centre of the world centre of the world the centre of each of our bodies southhunting song everyone else was lost without trace Sydney the open sea what happened next we do not know ear under the churchyard the glittering cities of central Europe roar yours faithfullyyours sincerely portrait of a woman this photo of us we’ve shut up shop I swayconversation with the centaur the shoes worn out with dancing John open your eyes! noonsouth it will all still be there everything comes the white surface that is your heart all that you and I know song 8 taken leave Notes bouquetsTranslator’s Acknowledgements