Benny Andersen

A friend, Michael Goldman, has been translating the poetry of the beloved Danish writer, Benny Andersen. Now in his 80's and a national treasure in Denmark, Benny Andersen has been meeting with Michael to aid in the translations. I happen to love his short stories and hope that more will be translated and published in the U.S. He has a wonderful voice and sense of humor in his fiction and poetry.

Here is his poem that was chosen for yesterday's Poetry Daily:

The last poem in the world

If this were the last poem in the world
I would make it as long as possible
infinitely long
but I would slow down the last few lines
and stop just before it ended
afraid of falling into space
or I would lie down
and creep on my belly out to the edge
hang on to the very last words
and carefully lean over the abyss
where all poems end
and try to look under the poem
use this rare opportunity
to see a poem from the other side
and just imagine if there I would see
the first poem in the world
then like a fly I would move
along this underside
clinging to every word
until I knew it by heart
and when I was done with the last line
try to get back on top
hanging and kicking and panting a little
twist myself up over the edge
and turn up in the first line of this poem
or maybe some place completely different

If this were the last poem in the world
I would refuse to believe it
or I'd put it off until later
and work on another one

If this were the last poem in the world
I would refuse to write it
in any case I would stop as soon as possible
like right here


BENNY ANDERSEN
translated from the Danish by Michael Goldman
The Cincinnati Review
Summer 2013
http://poems.com/poem.php?date=15877