Kathrin Schmidt Poems

nobody can stand here anymore with a gun where the
borderlines fall together
and there is no in-between, and no word is tinted by another
...

a sisterly kiss as we crossed the threshold: real names
were left at the door in a linen gym bag and forgotten
between Phys Ed and lunch.
leathered necks, girlish natures - someone welded
...

The guards lolled in silence at the entrance
while inside, a fan chopped up the displays' rank and serial numbers
and green uniforms melted through their glass cabinets
and stepped - blinding like a swarm -
...

the firedoor shuts its singing metal behind you
you don't know if it can keep your flat
or your keyed-up kids
latched
...

We raced along jiggling like a bright bag of sweets
our eyes following the hills that slipped into focus
our fingers on the lens split the image automatically
...