Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Yi Sha

BOMBS AND POETRY

before I left the house
I told my son
that evening
I was going
to the Second Artillery Force College of Engineering
to talk to a group of students learning how to make missiles
about poetry
I told him: what you have to do
is behave yourself
and stay put
until your mother gets home

that evening
after I’d gone
my son must have been confused
he couldn’t figure out
how his father
who could only talk about poetry
had the right
to go and lecture
people who would one day be making missiles
missiles were so awesome
while poetry was stuff like
“Before my bed there is bright moonlight . . .”*

three hours later
when I got back
my wife was already home
my son was still not in bed
he asked me
if I had seen any missiles
no, I said, and added:
I had seen the money and that was fine
I handed him
an envelope given to me by a colonel
he counted the money in it
then said to me
next time, go and give a talk
to people making atom bombs
they’re sure to give you even more

GELEIDE RAKETTEN EN POËZIE

Voor ik de deur uit ging
zei ik tegen mijn zoon
vanavond
moet papa
voor een groep studenten
die leren hoe je geleide raketten maakt
aan de ingenieursopleiding van de tweede artillerie-eenheid
een praatje gaan houden over poëzie
jij moet
netjes hier
thuis blijven
wachten tot mama terugkomt

Nadat ik die avond
van huis was gegaan
brak mijn zoon zich
het hoofd
over hoe het kon
dat zijn vader die alleen over poëzie kon praten
les moest gaan geven
aan mensen die later geleide raketten moesten maken
geleide raketten zijn supervet
en poëzie was enkel helder maanlicht voor het bed

Drie uur later
kwam ik thuis
mijn vrouw was er al
mijn zoon sliep nog niet
hij vroeg mij
of ik nog geleide raketten had gezien
nee zei ik
ik heb geld gezien zei ik
da’s wel genoeg
en ik overhandigde
mijn zoon de envelop
die een kolonel mij had gegeven
snel telde hij de biljetten
en zei toen tegen me
papa, ga de volgende keer
maar praten bij atoombommenmakers
die geven vast nog meer

Close

BOMBS AND POETRY

before I left the house
I told my son
that evening
I was going
to the Second Artillery Force College of Engineering
to talk to a group of students learning how to make missiles
about poetry
I told him: what you have to do
is behave yourself
and stay put
until your mother gets home

that evening
after I’d gone
my son must have been confused
he couldn’t figure out
how his father
who could only talk about poetry
had the right
to go and lecture
people who would one day be making missiles
missiles were so awesome
while poetry was stuff like
“Before my bed there is bright moonlight . . .”*

three hours later
when I got back
my wife was already home
my son was still not in bed
he asked me
if I had seen any missiles
no, I said, and added:
I had seen the money and that was fine
I handed him
an envelope given to me by a colonel
he counted the money in it
then said to me
next time, go and give a talk
to people making atom bombs
they’re sure to give you even more

BOMBS AND POETRY

before I left the house
I told my son
that evening
I was going
to the Second Artillery Force College of Engineering
to talk to a group of students learning how to make missiles
about poetry
I told him: what you have to do
is behave yourself
and stay put
until your mother gets home

that evening
after I’d gone
my son must have been confused
he couldn’t figure out
how his father
who could only talk about poetry
had the right
to go and lecture
people who would one day be making missiles
missiles were so awesome
while poetry was stuff like
“Before my bed there is bright moonlight . . .”*

three hours later
when I got back
my wife was already home
my son was still not in bed
he asked me
if I had seen any missiles
no, I said, and added:
I had seen the money and that was fine
I handed him
an envelope given to me by a colonel
he counted the money in it
then said to me
next time, go and give a talk
to people making atom bombs
they’re sure to give you even more
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