At Night, beneath the Trees

A new collection of poems by the German poet Michael Kruger, At Night, Beneath Trees is his second volume of poetry to appear in English. This latest selection, drawn from his 1993 and 1996 collections, marks an important shift in his work; moving away from the deeply philosophical dialogues of his earlier work, Kruger engages here in reflective, lyrical musings on the meaning of existence. Kruger searches for truth in the most ordinary of everyday events. Letters written to friends, a few moments spent looking up at the trees, statements by a television commentator all become occasions for questioning the meaning of things. Disillusioned by religion, history, and other forms of human knowledge, Kruger casts about for one irrefutable explanation, the saving thread, that will resolve all his doubts. Pervaded by a peaceful stillness, yet resoundingly powerful, these poems speak of the fear and confusion of living in a chaotic, meaningless world. Their attempt at finding meaning captures the mystery at the heart of life, and when the …mental fog rise[s] / because no questions pester / the answer, they offer a stolen glimpse of the unknowable.