"What was life, my dear, before you came ..." Mascha Kaléko's verses always strike the reader right in the heart - especially her love poetry. This small, bibliophile volume gathers poems from all phases of the poet's work: from her early years in 1930s Berlin, from her exile in New York, and from Jerusalem, the last stage of her life, where many texts were created that were published only posthumously. For the first time, this collection of love poems also includes texts and drafts from her estate that were previously only accessible in the complete edition of her works and letters. Thus, this volume showcases the lyricist in all her facets - from humorous, relaxed urban poetry to the existential texts of the late Mascha Kaléko.