In 1990 the German literary magazine "Literaturmagazin" had an issue devoted to new American poetry (no. 26), which also includes three poems by Jim Jarmusch (in their original English as well as German translations):
(1)
Split-Screen
The blond girl in my bathroom
wearing leather underwear
is cutting her hair shorter
in hopes of giving it the appearance
of being longer.
This reminds me of the Hungarian
who moves to Los Angeles,
forgets how to speak Hungarian,
and never learns a word of English.
(2)
The Trees are Crying
They have lashed down the windows
to celebrate the death of the wind.
Inside, he traces lines
in the white tablecloth
with a fork, describing elaborate
Japanese sexual equipment.
His eyes are their own language,
crying like the trees in a painting
by Michelangelo (Antonioni).
(3)
Flexible Girls of Tokyo
The effects of the world disperse
with slow green bricks
falling across the street.
Smoke figures in here somewhere,
rising like Caucasian hair.
My taxi is sealed against rain,
light, microwaves, against the song
the girls dressed like sailors
are theoretically singing.