Ronnie McGinn's Poetry Page

We get a fine cross-section of writers sending their poems to this column but there is something very special about Terese Coe, her poetry gives magic meanings to our many happenings and illuminates the depth and scope of our human spirit. She offers us everyday views from across boundaries within ourselves that we never knew existed, or were afraid to acknowledge. Yes! I'm a Terese Coe admirer. In my opinion her poetry stands as "real poetry", in any language by any standard, of any era, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Of all the German poets my favourites are Rainer Maria Rilke's and Heinrich Heine.

There is something about translations, that no matter how good, they don't always do justice or convey the true meaning of the author's original work. Terese Coe has overcome that, she has the capability of putting translations into contemporary language which gives them better meaning and greater importance since so many more people can appreciate them that way. In her translation of Heine's poem "The Bottles" she captures the author's brilliant, sly and ironic love of his work, as well as the humor and cynicism that made him famous. If you are not familiar with Heine, one has only to look at his dying words to understand his mentality. "God will forgive me, it's His job"

The Bottles
(Translated from the German of Heinrich Heine)

The bottles are empty, breakfast was cozy,
the girls all so friendly and tickled.
They tear off their bodices, gorgeous and rosy,
excited and totally pickled.

Their shoulders so creamy and bosoms highbred,
my heart wants to beg and then wilts.
They toss themselves laughingly onto the bed
and hide under blankets and quilts.

They let down the curtains, draw down the drapes,
sing out, "Last one to snore is a flunky!"
I stand there alone like a jackanapes,
stifled and boring and clunky.

© Terese Coe