63. War doch nur ein Gedicht (Indecent proposal poem)

Wie gefährlich die Poesie ist, offenbart sich gegenwärtig wieder einmal – vor einem Londoner Gericht:

A millionaire businessman admitted yesterday that he had become „much too close“ to a school teacher he is alleged to have offered to buy for $1m in a love poem, entitled „Knocking on Heaven’s Door“.

But Brian Maccaba, 45, who is suing a senior rabbi who allegedly called him a „sexual predator“ for slander, told the High Court in London that his relationship with Nathalie Attar had never been sexual and was more akin to that of a brother and sister.

The entrepreneur, an Irish Catholic who converted to Judaism in 1990, said he and Mrs Attar had grown close between June 1998 and August 1999 through a mutual interest in poetry while both were experiencing marriage difficulties.

His voice at times breaking with emotion, Mr Maccaba told the jury that he realised by May 1999 their relationship had become emotionally „much too close“ and that he decided to bring it to an end. The court heard he wrote two poems for Mrs Attar’s birthday, the themes of which were in part „let’s be brother and sister“.

Mr Maccaba said: „Poetry is particularly dangerous because it is a personal thing and it led perhaps to greater closeness.“ / Independent 23.4.04