the little Aster

A kind of edgy poem I like is “Die Kleine Aster” by Gottfriend Benn. Here’s my edgy version of the poem in English and potentially in other languages in the future.

English

A rotten pile of flesh and bones was heaved up onto the slab.
Something had wedged a dark-pale-lilac aster
between some teeth.
As I, from the top,
under some skin,
with a long knife,
cut out a tongue and a throat,
I must have knocked it, for it slid
into a jar-brain right beside.
I packed it into a rib cage for them
among the metal shavings,
as we sewed it up.
Drink your fill in your vase!
Rest soft,
little aster!