Poem
Herman De Coninck
Lithe Love
your sweaters & your white & redscarves & your stockings & your panties
(made with love, said the commercial)
& your bras (there’s poetry in
such things, especially when you wear them) -
they’re scattered around in this poem
the way they are in your room.
come on in, reader, make yourself
comfortable, don’t trip over the
syntax & kicked-off shoes, have a seat.
(meanwhile we kiss each other in this
sentence in brackets, that way
the reader won’t see us.) what do you think of it,
this is a window to look at
reality, all that you see out there
exists, isn’t it exactly
the way it is in a poem?
© Translation: 1979, The estate of James Holmes
From: The Low Countries
Publisher: Ons Erfdeel, Rekkem, 1997
From: The Low Countries
Publisher: Ons Erfdeel, Rekkem, 1997
De Lenige Liefde
De Lenige Liefde
Je truitjes en je witte en rodesjaals en je kousen en je slipjes
(met liefde gemaakt, zei de reclame)
en je brassières (er steekt poëzie in
die dingen, vooral als jij ze draagt)-
ze slingeren rond in dit gedicht
als op je kamer.
Kom er maar in, lezer, maak het je
gemakkelijk, struikel niet over de
zinsbouw en over de uitgeschopte schoenen, gaat u zitten.
(Intussen zoenen wij even in deze
zin tussen haakjes, zo ziet de lezer
ons niet.) Hoe vindt u het,
dit is een raam om naar de werkelijkheid
te kijken, alles wat u daar ziet
bestaat. Is het niet allemaal
als in een gedicht?
© 1969, The estate of Herman de Coninck
From: De Gedichten
Publisher: De Arbeiderspers, Amsterdam
From: De Gedichten
Publisher: De Arbeiderspers, Amsterdam
Poems
Poems of Herman De Coninck
Close
Lithe Love
your sweaters & your white & redscarves & your stockings & your panties
(made with love, said the commercial)
& your bras (there’s poetry in
such things, especially when you wear them) -
they’re scattered around in this poem
the way they are in your room.
come on in, reader, make yourself
comfortable, don’t trip over the
syntax & kicked-off shoes, have a seat.
(meanwhile we kiss each other in this
sentence in brackets, that way
the reader won’t see us.) what do you think of it,
this is a window to look at
reality, all that you see out there
exists, isn’t it exactly
the way it is in a poem?
© 1979, The estate of James Holmes
From: The Low Countries
Publisher: 1997, Ons Erfdeel, Rekkem
From: The Low Countries
Publisher: 1997, Ons Erfdeel, Rekkem
Lithe Love
your sweaters & your white & redscarves & your stockings & your panties
(made with love, said the commercial)
& your bras (there’s poetry in
such things, especially when you wear them) -
they’re scattered around in this poem
the way they are in your room.
come on in, reader, make yourself
comfortable, don’t trip over the
syntax & kicked-off shoes, have a seat.
(meanwhile we kiss each other in this
sentence in brackets, that way
the reader won’t see us.) what do you think of it,
this is a window to look at
reality, all that you see out there
exists, isn’t it exactly
the way it is in a poem?
© 1979, The estate of James Holmes
From: The Low Countries
Publisher: 1997, Ons Erfdeel, Rekkem
From: The Low Countries
Publisher: 1997, Ons Erfdeel, Rekkem
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