This lovely little volume combines two narrative poems by Hermann Hesse with illustrations by Gunter Böhmer, who was Hesse's neighbor in Montagnola for three decades. Hesse composed both poems in 1935, which helps explain a similarity in mood, even though the subject matter is disparate.
The first, "Stunden im Garten," begins with a detailed description of Hesse's chores in his garden. Nothing special here, I thought. More like a writer's exercise in observation than something meant for publication. Nevertheless, the author's love for what he was describing was evident.
Then the poem's narrator sits in a secluded spot for a break. A reasonable thing to do. Even in spring, the sun on the south slope of the Alps can be hot by mid-morning. Before I know it, the narrator is building a fire and likening himself first to an alchemist, then to a priest. Quite a leap from a precise description of one's garden to the mystical plane—or perhaps not.
In the second, "Der Lahme," Hesse recalls a slightly older boy in the hometown of his childhood. The boy—wizened, small, and lame—suffered ridicule from the other boys, but Hesse is fascinated by him, particularly his fishing skill. This contrasts sharply with young Hesse's fledgling attempts with sewing thread and a bent nail. The boy sees Hesse admiring his catch and offers to instruct him. This leads to camaraderie (not friendship) that lasts the summer, perhaps a second; the older Hesse is no longer sure. Then they lose sight of one another. He wonders whether the other sensed the chasm that would separate them as boyhood waned. The nostalgic tone of the poem takes a turn at the end when the author confesses that he likes to imagine that this strange boy was secretly king of fish and dwarfs and that he found his way back to the grassy shoals.
Böhmer's drawings complement both texts well. I'm not a big fan of Hesse's poetry, but I enjoyed this book. ( )