Red throbbing hearts, little chubby Cupids, flowers – these ciphers for love have become established in our visual culture. You can also see a red heart here: Friederike Mayröcker was not only one of the most important poets that this country had the grace to host in the last century. She also drew. Scribbled sheets of paper with short texts. Under the title taken to the curb A figure that could be her walks such a red heart. She may not have fingers, but the heart has feet and she smiles. What more does it take to be happy? Maybe an answer, like that of her fellow poet and life-lover Ernst Jandl in the poem lie, with you formulated: “I lie with you. Your arms / hold me. Your arms / hold more than I am”.
