Thomas Brasch was a British and German author, poet, and film director born in Yorkshire, England, in 1945 to Jewish émigré parents. He lived in East Germany and was known for his critical stance against the repressive regime there, which led to imprisonment and eventual relocation to West Germany. Brasch was also a literary and film figure, notable for works such as poems, plays, and films addressing political and social themes. He died in 2001 in Berlin.
One of his well-known poems is "Was ich habe, will ich nicht verlieren," which
expresses a deep sense of ambivalence and conflict about attachment, place,
and love. The poem goes: "Was ich habe, will ich nicht verlieren, aber
wo ich bin, will ich nicht bleiben, aber
die ich liebe, will ich nicht verlassen, aber
die ich kenne, will ich nicht mehr sehen, aber
wo ich lebe, da will ich nicht sterben, aber
wo ich sterbe, da will ich nicht hin:
Bleiben will ich, wo ich nie gewesen bin."
This translates roughly as:
"What I have, I don't want to lose, but
where I am, I don't want to stay, but
those I love, I don't want to leave, but
those I know, I don't want to see anymore, but
where I live, I don't want to die, but
where I die, I don't want to go:
I want to stay where I have never been."
If more detail is wanted on his biography, literary works, or this specific poem, further information can be provided.
