If you’ve ever had your heart broken, felt crushed, used and discarded, Swiss poet Angelia Maria Schwaller has something to say to you. I recently interviewed the award-winning poet for swissinfo.ch – my first introduction to Swiss-German poetry.
Angelia writes in her unusual Freiburg dialect, which is not taught as a written language in Switzerland. Her first collection of poetry dachbettzyt was published last year. If you’ve never heard the Swiss German language, it’s worth listening to the clip of Angelia reading her poem crumbs (‘verbroosme’ in Swiss German) below. The desolation in the sparse lines written by this 25 year old reminds us that everybody hurts sometimes.
crumbs (unofficial translation) by Angelia Maria Schwaller
I am dry and old bread
lie enclosed in your hand
being crushed by you
afterwards
when it’s all over
you throw me
in crumbs
on the stone floor
as fodder
scattered, I fall down
the cracks
and get lost
© dachbettzyt, Knapp Verlag 2012
Listen to Angelia read crumbs here. She has a lovely voice:
http://clareodea.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/schwaller-verbroosme.mp3
Like to know more ? Read the full interview with Angelia published last week. It’s interesting that Angelia is a self-taught poet who picked up most of what she knows online, starting at the age of 12! Shows what a great resource the internet is for writers.
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/culture/I_never_imagined_writing_would_pay_the_bills.html?cid=36117988
And one more translated poem:
drops (unofficial translation)
delicately
drop after
drop
is lost
at the low point
a puddle
is collected
I flow
into it through
my racing heart
© dachbettzyt, Knapp Verlag 2012
Angelia’s homepage (only in German):
http://www.angeliaschwaller.ch