Rilke Translation — In their long brown hair they lie,
Deep in self, vision long gone.
The Eyes too far distant.
Skeletons, Mouths, Flowers.
In their mouths, smooth teeth
like a travel chess set
carved of elephant tusk,
arranged in rows.
And flowers, golden pearls, slender bones,
Hands and Hems, withering fabric
over collapsed hearts.
But there, under those rings,
Talismans…