Some might argue poetry is all about time. It is a perfect way to “decelerate”. Reading pace, in most instances, slows down considerably. At least the first time reading is frequently a stop and go process. A few examples of poetry may hit personal trigger points. The random collection of poems I consulted in the “Lese lounge” in 2026-5 contained each the topic of time in one or the other form. Renate Schmidgall (2025) carries time indirectly in her title “Kein Verlass auf Uhren und Gestirne” (Don’t depend on clocks and stars, own translation). She creates new metaphors like “Am Kirchturm rostet die Zeit” (p. 12 On the church tower time rusts). This sentence precedes the sentence which became the book title. Time is also envisioned a bit like an onion in another metaphor “die Uhr schält rückwärts die Stunden“ (the clock peels backwards the hours). So much to gain with so little time spent with poetry. (Image: Bronse in Jardin des Plantes, Paris, homage to Saint-John Perse 2026).
