Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Jürgen Rooste

behind the florist’s daughter eyes

behind the florist’s daughter eyes
is something big and beautiful
one room

no – a ballroom

a ballroom on whose scritchy-scratchy parquet
the precise toe taps of shoes measure
out for us the world’s prettiest waltz

no – the salsa

no – the tango

the lusty and pliant tango of our thoughts
that is like the shadow of belka and strelka’s eternal shuttle
on the surface of the full moon

the florist’s daughter – the bouquet
that her mother on one of her nights of madness
arranged with guidance from all gods and demons –

it stands now
in a small dim dingy room
behind my glazed grey drunken eyes

the precise toe taps of the shoes of the florist’s daughter
somewhere on a sidestreet mete
out redemption for us 

surely that
which we don’t deserve

behind the florist’s daughter eyes

lilleseadja tütre silme taga
on midagi suurt ja ilusat
üks tuba

ei – saal

ballisaal mille kriibitud-kraabitud parketil
mõõdavad kinganinade täpsed klõpsud
meile välja maailma kauneimat valssi

ei – salsat

ei – tangot

me mõtete iharat ja painduvat tangot
mis on nagu belka ja strelka igavese süstiku vari
täiskuu pinnal

lilleseadja tütar – see lillekimp
mille ta ema ühel oma hulluseööl
kokku seadis kõigi jumalate ja deemonite juhatusel –

seisab nüüd
ühes väikses hämaras räpases toas
mu sompus hallide ärajoodud silme taga

lilleseadja tütre kinganinade
täpsed klõpsud kuskil kõrvaltänaval aga
mõõdavad meile välja lunastust

muidugi seda
mida me ära teenind pole
Close

behind the florist’s daughter eyes

behind the florist’s daughter eyes
is something big and beautiful
one room

no – a ballroom

a ballroom on whose scritchy-scratchy parquet
the precise toe taps of shoes measure
out for us the world’s prettiest waltz

no – the salsa

no – the tango

the lusty and pliant tango of our thoughts
that is like the shadow of belka and strelka’s eternal shuttle
on the surface of the full moon

the florist’s daughter – the bouquet
that her mother on one of her nights of madness
arranged with guidance from all gods and demons –

it stands now
in a small dim dingy room
behind my glazed grey drunken eyes

the precise toe taps of the shoes of the florist’s daughter
somewhere on a sidestreet mete
out redemption for us 

surely that
which we don’t deserve

behind the florist’s daughter eyes

behind the florist’s daughter eyes
is something big and beautiful
one room

no – a ballroom

a ballroom on whose scritchy-scratchy parquet
the precise toe taps of shoes measure
out for us the world’s prettiest waltz

no – the salsa

no – the tango

the lusty and pliant tango of our thoughts
that is like the shadow of belka and strelka’s eternal shuttle
on the surface of the full moon

the florist’s daughter – the bouquet
that her mother on one of her nights of madness
arranged with guidance from all gods and demons –

it stands now
in a small dim dingy room
behind my glazed grey drunken eyes

the precise toe taps of the shoes of the florist’s daughter
somewhere on a sidestreet mete
out redemption for us 

surely that
which we don’t deserve
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère