15 Monday Feb 2016
Posted in Carson the Cat and more..., Poetry
Tags
farewell, Kater Carson, Katja John, Lake Bohinj, Poetry, Slovenia, travel
Red wine kisses at Lake Bohinj
last week’s résumé
within the chest
farewell
tomorrow
between the toes
gravel
of today.
© Katja John, 2015
—
translated from German
Rotweinküsse am Bohinjsee
Resümee der letzten Woche
in der Brust
der Abschied
morgen
zwischen den Zehen
der Kies
von heute.
© Katja John, 2015
30 Thursday Jan 2014
Posted in Carson the Cat and more..., Poetry, Uncategorized
Hochstadter Stier – The Bull of Hochstadt
When I signed up for the “Hochstadter Stier” (“The Bull of Hochstadt”) in November, I did not know what to expect. But it seemed to be exciting. Even better, the “Bull” did perfectly fit in with my planned trip to Germany.
So what is this “Bull”? – The “Hochstadter Stier” is an annually held poetry workshop (Anton G. Leitner Verlag/publisher of DAS GEDICHT). Its highlight is a public event at the Gasthof Schuster in Weßling/Hochstadt where the participants get the chance to present their poems.
Last weekend I found myself together with 23 other participants in Weßling/Hochstadt (Germany). We read, we ate, we listened, we laughed, enjoyed, and worked – while dwelling upon this year’s theme “love and praise” under the guidance of two great mentors Anton G. Leitner and Hellmuth Opitz.
It was a wonderful weekend filled not only with incredibly diverse poems, but also with enthusiasm, amazing people and inspiring discussion.
Luckily, the competition did not poison the amazing atmosphere. Quite the contrary. We encouraged each other and rhapsodized upon listening to some of the poems.
Going weak at my knees
It was my first participation at a poetry workshop and it also was the first time for me to publicly perform one of my poems. Unlike the writing of a poem, performing also requires attention to voice modulation and pace. Despite good preparation at the workshop, last Saturday night my knees turned to jello while performing my poem “wertgeschätzt” (“valued/appreciated”).
The next day a video analysis showed that even after living in Canada for almost five years now, I still speak German with a Southern German dialect. I also was surprised that I appeared to be far less nervous than I had actually felt during the performance.
Winners
Amongst the winners chosen by the audience and the jury are Judith Hennemann from Frankfurt, Karsten Paul from Nuremberg and Silke Loser from Paderborn, and also Jo Lenz from Berlin, whose poem “Mächtige Du” (“Mighty You”) has experienced the most courageous transformation during the course of the workshop. From High German to Berlin German dialect. Jo Lenz is also an avid blogger with German stories and German poetry.
Even though I did not take a trophy home myself, I enjoyed the whole experience very much.
The compliment of a lady from the audience who approached me after the event was a special “praise” treat to me. She told me that my poem “wertgeschätzt” (“valued/appreciated”) had touched her and that it took the words right out of her mouth – and also she had voted for me and my poem. I very much appreciated her “valuation“ and felt like a winner right there.
You can find me in one of the pictures here:
http://www.dasgedichtblog.de/rueckblick-hochstadter-stier-2014/2014/01/29/#1
Read in German here: http://katercarson.wordpress.com/2014/01/30/hochstadter-stier-im-lyrik-fieber/
10 Friday Jan 2014
Posted in Poetry, Uncategorized
I hardly see
through my lashes frozen
the winter’s beau
and ceaseless devotion
walking through heavy snow
deep to the knee.
Have left the shoveled
path sometime somewhere
Harsh wind dries cold the air
and I hear the world muffled
under my woollen hat. –
All of a sudden without a sound
red blood drops bright
onto the snow white
covered ground
where once a way
could be found
Yet, a tone I hear from my chest
and I want to rest my breath and stay.
That’s when I let
go of time and cause
never mind the flaws
of my life
if I only survive
no more
as before.
© Katja John, 2014
12 Saturday Oct 2013
Posted in Poetry
I had a dream last night
about you
standing on the other side
of another room
talking
But as soon
as your eyes met mine
somewhere at the open door
between us
you started walking –
towards me
In my dream
I was a glass figurine
And by your hand’s touch
that I wanted so much
I became to be
a fragile me
There in the dim shine
of a room lit at night
you held me tight
until your heartbeat was mine
Warm and caressed
in your embrace
I felt embarrassed –
I had not known before
you could walk through that open door.
© Katja John, 2013
11 Friday Oct 2013
Posted in Poetry
Tags
When with the sound
of a feather
a leaf touches the ground
in this cool weather
and the summer seems to fade
away behind a silver shade
my lungs fill with cold air
the sun still kissing my hair
then all
I want is fall
fall into a golden bed
drop dead
beauty of the flaming leaf
no regret
no grief.
© Katja John, 2013
08 Tuesday Oct 2013
Posted in Carson the Cat and more...
Tags
Canada, Germany, Kater Carson, Katja John, poems, Poetry, short stories
Who am I? The eternal question…
I rose from dusty, authority-grey mountains of files and ventured out into the wide world beyond.
Shortly after my 30th birthday, I left Germany and moved to Canada. Far away from home, I finally rediscovered myself and my old love for poetry. I had lost both somewhen between adolescence and everyday-work.
Even as a child I was fascinated by poetry. Until today, I feel a bit sentimental when I think of one of my first poems. Regenbogenbäume (Rainbow Trees) – very childlike, dreamy and yet somehow grown-up.
Along with other texts on ruled or squared paper, this poem is sitting in a dark box. Scribbled words, letters in calligraphy, typed stories and hand written poems awaiting daylight…
My dearly-loved husband and friends have encouraged me not to hide my scribblings in the dark of a box. Which is why I dedicate this blog to poems and short stories in German and English.
And who is Carson?
A few months ago Carson the Cat came into my life. He is a patient listener and uncritical critic to my writing. And because I love Carson and Carson likes my poems and the internet loves cats – this blog is dedicated to him as well.
You can find Carson’s German sibling, Kater Carson, here:
http://katercarson.wordpress.com
by Katja John
