The Romantics

How romantic the idea
that we are all alone
in this vast universe:

The only animals
that can think, wish, dream
what never was,
what never will be:

Lasting Love,

Hope, Charity,

God and the demons,

atman and brahman.

Really?

In that case
aren´t we just
a bunch of seven billion
Franksteins,
modern or postmodern
Prometheuses
who stole the fire
from an indifferent void
to warm ourselves
till we blow up this tiny planet
in one ridiculous fireball?

--Frank Joussen, Germany

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The Night Before All Souls´ Day

The streets are noisy –

grandchildren playing Halloween,

but what is ‘trick or treat’ in German?

Their shrieks begin to falter
when the doors of the old won´t open
to let the light inside come out.

So they squeeze the decorative pumpkin
through the letter-box
and turn their death masks
towards a new but unknown destination.

She had to remind me
to take the day off and come on the first
and her bad leg won´t almost
drag her uphill towards the ancient church
and the surrounding cemetery
where the sanctuary light
shines small and red like
the memory of bygone sunsets
that felt like forever

when she and dad were young
and only seemed to announce

a new dawn for their child´s play.

--Frank Joussen, Germany

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Rooms to Live in

(for Robin)

When I look into your eyes
they still reflect that strange ‘near netherworld’
you´ve just escaped from –
a big hospital full of pale, hairless children
most of whom will never again sit
in a sun-drenched classroom like this one.

I was hoping that mirrored in your eyes
you would find – if not a brave new world,
for who could have been braver than you –

an intact or at least a friendly one
but it´s quite banal why this isn´t so:
these kids here don´t know
how lucky they are
to have so many rooms to live in
and none yet to die in
plus they can play with all their friends
and go home at four.

--Frank Joussen, Germany

copyright all poems by Frank Joussen

Frank Joussen is a German teacher and member of one-world and peace groups. He has had numerous publications, e.g.: In North America in anthologies published by Poet Works Press; Big Pond Rumours, Poets Against War, Poets Against the War Canada, The Gazette, Raving Dove, New Verse News, The Pedestal Magazine, Kota Press, Raven Poetry. In G.B. in: Poetry Kit Magazine, Caught in the Net, Pulsar, Poetry Scotland, Poetic Hour, The Measure; in India in: Poet, Poetry Today, Metverse Muse, Muse India, Poets International, Canopy, Triveni, World Poetry, Creative Saplings, Literary Ruminations et al. and anthologies published after poetry fests at Guntur, A.P..

His first collection, “Building Bridges”, was published by I.D.E.A.S. in Andhra Pradesh in 2008.