Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Toshio Nakae

A POET-ANIMAL

Because I am a man long ago forsaken by human beings,
I live on earth, together with the hearts of dogs similarly abandoned.
I will never wage war either for justice or against evil
and I cowardly shut my eyes to love.
I willingly laugh at obscenity and worry not a bit over misery,
and live shitting and pissing everywhere.

Because I am a man who long ago despaired of human beings,
I live surrounded by trash, junk, things of no use,
despising all utility.
Being neither a merchant nor a salaried worker, nor a manufacturer,
that is, not a fraud, not a liar, not a thief, just a ‘Nobody’,
I hide among garbage and junk and such useless things and live as I like in a deserted
house of the soul.

A POET-ANIMAL

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A POET-ANIMAL

Because I am a man long ago forsaken by human beings,
I live on earth, together with the hearts of dogs similarly abandoned.
I will never wage war either for justice or against evil
and I cowardly shut my eyes to love.
I willingly laugh at obscenity and worry not a bit over misery,
and live shitting and pissing everywhere.

Because I am a man who long ago despaired of human beings,
I live surrounded by trash, junk, things of no use,
despising all utility.
Being neither a merchant nor a salaried worker, nor a manufacturer,
that is, not a fraud, not a liar, not a thief, just a ‘Nobody’,
I hide among garbage and junk and such useless things and live as I like in a deserted
house of the soul.

A POET-ANIMAL

Because I am a man long ago forsaken by human beings,
I live on earth, together with the hearts of dogs similarly abandoned.
I will never wage war either for justice or against evil
and I cowardly shut my eyes to love.
I willingly laugh at obscenity and worry not a bit over misery,
and live shitting and pissing everywhere.

Because I am a man who long ago despaired of human beings,
I live surrounded by trash, junk, things of no use,
despising all utility.
Being neither a merchant nor a salaried worker, nor a manufacturer,
that is, not a fraud, not a liar, not a thief, just a ‘Nobody’,
I hide among garbage and junk and such useless things and live as I like in a deserted
house of the soul.
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