Gerhard Falkner

1951 / Schwabach

The red shoes

a stranger I awakened and early
the plug still plugged in
a woman, smaller than a horse
handed me an apple in English:
apple, she said
don't you want a bite
but who are the red shoes
the red shoes
there on the sour side
bloodied they climb down the apple
ah must die and have
not even had breakfast

Translated by Rosmarie Waldrop
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