Poetry on the Move is a project introduced by Heidelberg to celebrate its 10th anniversary as a City of Literature.
Other UNESCO Cities of Literature were invited to contribute a contemporary poem by a poet with a strong connection to their city.
We nominated Ramona Herdman, a Norwich-based poet and longstanding figure in the literary community who helps to run the live literature organisation Café Writers. Her piece ‘Here is the morning milk for you’ is featured alongside 23 others.
Each poem (with translation) was featured on postcards distributed around Heildelberg and on posters on local transport in autumn 2024.
On Friday 11 October 2024, the translators boarded the nostalgic ‘Sixty’ train, built in 1963 and fully restored for modern use, to read the poems aloud. A short film has been created to commemorate the journey and celebrate the coming together of poetry from around the world.
Watch now
Here is the morning milk for you
Here’s the morning moon.
Here’s today at your doorstep,
the blackbird accepting your walnuts.
Here’s your bad hip, a little reminder.
Here is the house still standing.
Here’s water, taking whatever you throw at it.
Here’s ordinary, spread with butter.
Ramona Herdman
Norwich City of Literature
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