Language learning

Deckellos

A poem using my beginner German — you might have a chuckle

Photo by Ceyda Çiftci on Unsplash (cropped by author)

The poem “Deckellos” is written in my beginner German. You will find a translation in English below the German poem.

Deckellos

Ich liebe — Kaffee,
sehr süß mit viel Milch,
und — deckellos.

Mein Kaffee — bin ich!
Süß und deckellos,
übersprudelnd wie kochende Milch,
das bin ich!

Translation:

I love — coffee,
very sweet with a lot of milk,
and —lidless.

My coffee — am I!
Sweet and lid free,
bubbling over like boiling milk,
That, am I!

The inspiration for this poem in German comes from a comment a lady at the bakery made this morning when I ordered a coffee. It was the first time her sister served me, and the lady said to her sister “Deckellos.”

My reply, without thinking, in German, was “Ich bin auch deckellos.” (I am lidless too,) which caused a chuckle from the two. Direct translations when you learn a new language don’t…