Knud Sørensen: 'Om jorden'

 

CONCERNING THE EARTH

 

There he stands

right in the middle of his world,

which here means

right in the middle of his corn

but also

right in the middle of the 

wretched and yellowish spot

that has probably

been given too much

of some chemical or other

or been hit

by chance fall-out

or by a stray gene

that ought to have been

somewhere else completely,

and there he just stands,

and it looks more as if

he is full of admiration

than in right in the middle

of a showdown with himself.

Don’t think,

he then says,

you can get the better of

the earth.

The earth is strong

and unbeatable,

it’s only

earth put to use

that is frail,

he says,

it’s only

the earth of chance life

that can be threatened

when chance life

scratches at it

too roughly.

Look around, he says,

when you think you’ve got it,

it turns its back

and starts living a quite different life.

It’s got enough of them.

I’ve only got one

he says and can scarcely

conceal his laughter.

He kicks one of the clods.

Bloody earth.