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  • To Eat of Meat Joyously
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To Eat of Meat Joyously

Bertolt Brecht

To eat of meat joyously, a juicy loin cut
And with the fresh-baked, fragrant rye bread
Chunks from the whole cheese, and to swallow
Cold beer from the jug: such things are held in
Low esteem, but to my mind, to be put into the grave
Without ever enjoying a mouthful of good meat
Is inhuman, and I say that, I who
Am not good at eating.


Bertolt Brecht

from Bertolt Brecht Poems, edited by John Willett and Ralph Manheim (London: Eyre Methuen Ltd, 1976)

translated by Lee Baxendall

Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holder. If you can advise us of the appropriate acknowledgement to be made please contact reception@spl.org.uk

Tags:

appetite food German happiness meat

About this poem

This poem, representing Germany, is part of The Written World – our collaboration with BBC radio to broadcast a poem from every single nation competing in London 2012

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Bertolt Brecht

Bertolt Brecht was born in Augsburgh, Bavaria, in 1898.
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