'In the earlier years'

Another poem from Mascha Kaléko that I translated this morning for an old friend, this one is from 1947.


Exposed...
I sail away,
I sail to a shore...
In a boat of the night.
In a cloud
I lean against the rain
And in a mount of sand
Against the furious wind.
Nothing to rely on,
Only miracle.
I eat the ripe fruits of longing
And drink the waters of thirst,
The thirst of might.
A stranger... in slumber before unreachable places.
I freeze through the dark years,
And on the way home
I choose love for myself.