The Serpent

When I saw her I faced her.
white as snow.
When I was in front I stood up
                                        at once up.
When she was beautiful she looked all different.
Long as the scalp was his torso.
as in to be made to be something yet.
very difficult to see for I was yours.

Translated by Oya Ataman and Gary Sullivan.

* * *

Die Schlange

Als ich sie sah da stand ich vor ihr.
weiß wie der Schnee.
Als ich davor war da stand ich auf
                                        auf einmal auf.
Als sie schön war sah sie ganz anders aus.
Lang wie der schopf war sein Rumpf.
aus im noch etwas zu machen.
sehr schwer zu sehen den ich war dein.

* * *

Notes

This poem and "The Cave," which appears just below, may or may not have been written one after the other, but they appear in print next to each other, and it is more than plausible that this is because Navratil saw them as both being, essentially, about sex. Sometimes, a serpent and cave are not just a serpent and cave. (See also the notes to "The Cave.")