Gedicht für August 2019: Die rechte Zeit

Frühling

Du freust dich über das zarte Grün, die Luft,

so klar vom sanften Regen, den würzigen Duft

der jungen Kräuter und Blüten, der frischen Erde.

Auch dein Gedicht verspricht eine Welt im Werden,

ein Paradies der Fülle, künftigen Wohlstand,

wie ihn bisher die Menschen nicht gekannt.

Sommer

Du liegst im duftenden Gras so kühl und weich,

goldene Felder so weit das Auge reicht

mit Ähren, trunken schwankend in der Brise.

Dein Lied schwelgt in Zufriedenheit und Süße,

träumend von Palmen, vom goldenen Strand, vom Meer

nur ganz leise von fern dringt dunkles Grollen hierher.

Herbst

Du bist vom Farbenspiel des Laubs gebannt,

das gelb, orange und rot durchglüht das Land.

zartviolett in grünen Wiesen verstreut

die Herbstzeitlosen. Dein Lied ist Lob der Schönheit,

und Trauer um die Natur, vom Menschen zerstört,

die Zeit, die vertan, die Warnungen nicht gehört.

Winter

Du schreibst von Wolken, von dunklen, nassen Straßen

vom Hasten durch wirbelnden Schnee, in den Manteltaschen kalte Hände, 

von eisiger Luft im Gesicht.

Verlorenheit ist das Thema deines Gedichts,

die Sehnsucht nach Frühling, nach einer besseren Welt,

und Hoffnung, die die Erinnerung erhält

an das zarte Grün, das an Sträuchern und Bäumen sprießt,

den warmen Regen, der Feld und Wald begießt,

die würzigen Kräuter und frischer Erde Duft.

Du siehst eine Welt im Werden mit sauberer Luft,

mit Nahrung und Wasser für alle, ein sicherer Hafen,

eine Welt im Frieden, mit Liebe und Güte geschaffen.

Gudrun Rogge-Wiest, August 2019

poem for July 2019: By the lake

Palmengarten in Leipzig

By the lake

No matter the route you choose for your Sunday walk

the shore of the lake is always a stop on the way.

When you approach the view widens gradually,

all noise is softened, the voices of playing children,

the twitter and occasional cries of birds.

You pause and draw in breath, the train of your thoughts

comes to a halt, you enjoy the fresher air

as your gaze wanders across the water and rests

on landmarks on the opposite shore – a pavilion,

a majestic tree - is finally drawn

to the horizon, takes in the sky above

until the eye is once more caught by the play

of light and colours on the water´s surface

which suddenly becomes transparent, opens

on an underwater world that features

depths of blue on which white clouds float freely,

cascades of foliage all tumbling down.

Bright blossoms sway gently, nod wisely on shades of green.

But now, a breeze has blown ripples onto the water.

The edges of objects are blurred, shapes wobble, are shaken,

and colours flow together and merge. Your gaze

is cast off by the water´s surface, now obscure,

and shivering you awake. The breeze has freshened.

You turn away and resume your Sunday walk.

Gudrun Rogge-Wiest, August 2019

poem for June 2019: Air raid

Air raid

You´ve delivered the grain, job done, now home.

you walk beside old Fanny´s head

to the steady beat of her hooves on the road,

enveloped in her warmth and tangy smell.

a hum, a rumble, in the sky behind you,

black dots growing in size, you run for shelter

under the lime tree, vast and leafy,

nestle against its roughness out of sight.

growl turns into thunder, they ´re flying low

searching for prey they ´re screaming past.

you´ve held your breath and closed your eyes

then silence falls – you gaze at the empty road.

the horse and cart have disappeared.

still feeling numb you let go of the bark

and stumble towards the road

look right, look left, they´re nowhere in sight.

Where have they gone? What shall I do?

My hosts - what are they going to say? - To them

you´re just a stranger, another hungry mouth

barely earning his keep by his work.

Anxiously you´re heading for the farm

racked by guilt yet yearning for its safety.

"Where have you been?" the farmer gruffly.

"She´s home, knows where that is, she does."

Gudrun Rogge-Wiest, July 2018/April + July 2019

When during World War II air raids on the industrial Ruhr area of Germany were expected, the children were evacuated. My father who was about 12 years old at the time was quartered with a farmer near the town of Soest for some time. He earned his keep by helping with the farm chores.

Later, he spent another period of evacuation with a family near Achern on the slopes of the Northern Black Forest where he was treated like one of their own children. He has always kept up relations with the family.

Reflections for May 2019: How to be a millionaire

                                  Municipal open-air swimming pool, Wendlingen am Neckar, Germany

                                                   

How to be a millionaire

Translation of "Eine Millionärin wie du und ich" von Harry Waßmann,

SWR2, Wort zum Tag (Verkündungssendung), 10.7.2019 (spiritual reflection for 10 June 2019)

https://www.swr.de/swr2/

wort-zum-tag-millionaerin/-/id=7576/did=24401348/nid=7576/1mebf4s/index.html

It´s the dream of many – to be a millionaire. But how to become one?

Recently, an elderly woman taught me how.

It was in the municipal open-air swimming pool on a sunny day. The woman climbed out of the water and said beaming with happiness: "I feel like a millionaire each time when I am in this pool."

With this she didn´t mean money or assets. It was her pure joy about the pool, which has been maintained by many volunteers for 80 years with its attractive play areas, changing rooms, an orchard and besides overlooking the castle in the neighbourhood.

A little swimming pool in a small town – maintained by volunteers day after day - the joy of being able to use all this makes her a millionaire.

Of course, this is not the euphemism of an underprivileged woman who daydreams herself into being rich. It´s quite a realistic calculation. No way would she be able to afford such a pool herself, maybe not even as a millionaire. When people pool their resources, however, they can accumulate wealth, be it in the form of taxes or of other kinds of contributions. They can make many people rich independent of their individual incomes.

The early Christian community in Jerusalem is said to have lived in a spirit of togetherness like this. All of them shared everything. They shared their possessions and none suffered any want. Of course, there were also disappointments, upheavals, crises - even cases of embezzlement according to Luke in the Book of the Apostles. Nevertheless, they were inspired by the give and take of sharing and participating. In other words: They were touched by the Holy Ghost and lived according to the spirit of Jesus.

What a blessing that in our country* the really big legacies which have been passed on from generation to generation are communal properties: forests and rivers, roads and schools, all kinds of museums and other assets including churches. Where such big legacies are privatised everyone suffers a considerable loss of wealth.

It is worth figuring out how rich we really are – together with so many others! The "millionaire" in the swimming pool opened my eyes. Since then I have felt like a multi-millionaire without taking anything away from others. A millionaire – like you and me.

*The author refers to Germany and in particular to Baden Württemberg in the south west of the country. Many more assets could be added to his list of big communal legacies such as libraries, hospitals, the water supply, and not least a vast network of footpaths including public access to lake shores and river banks which allows freedom of movement and an experience of nature to an extent which I am immensely grateful for every time I return from countries where public property is the exception.

                                           Klosterweiher, St. Georgen im Schwarzwald

You can find the German text under: www.kirche-im-swr.de/?page=manuskripte&autor=53 

In this context the poem I posted for July 2017,  'Why should I pay indeed?'  by Barbara Rank
is worth reading, too.