Between the Teeth

By Kirsten Hammann

I CIVILIZE MYSELF IN THE MORNING

I civilize myself in the morning
in front of the mirror
I put on clothes
I get up
I´m not a monkey
I walk on my feet
not on my hands my splitting-everythong-apart

It can be proven: I am a citizen
I have my rights
I get up and I can speak
it´s fully legal
I use publicly accessible words
I can lean over and listen
not over the table with my buzz saw
my horrible noise
and far too muv´ch power
but over coffee
I can set down
the fragile cups
without clinking
and smashing hysterically
You can safely invite me
I can eat all the meals of the day with proper manners
I use knife and fork
and the napkin, not the tableclothe or my sleeve
when I wipe my mouth
my lovely small lips
are closed when I chew
when I rip and destroy
and hate
most of all: I am a human being
Everybody can see that
I can get up
and say thanks for the evening
and see you again
what a lovely time we had
it is completely normal
and of course I´m going to sleep
not in the street with my dogs
from behind and in the mouth
but in my bed
in my soap powder and thirsty cotton
on my back
and like a child
it is something I have inherited
like my looks
we have to look like each other

Translated by Per Brask and Patrick Pallesen