Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Kazue Shinkawa

The Pullover Shirt

No matter what I say,
this child takes off something
along with his shirt.
Again he’s fallen asleep
without putting on pyjamas, naked.
Tucking him in,
I carefully look at him:
Is this my child?
I pick up his shirt.
Again I look into his sleeping face.
Is this my child?
No, I don’t, I don’t know
the child sleeping here:
a tree that has fallen,
a star that has dropped,
a boat that has lost its shore.

THE PULLOVER SHIRT

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The Pullover Shirt

No matter what I say,
this child takes off something
along with his shirt.
Again he’s fallen asleep
without putting on pyjamas, naked.
Tucking him in,
I carefully look at him:
Is this my child?
I pick up his shirt.
Again I look into his sleeping face.
Is this my child?
No, I don’t, I don’t know
the child sleeping here:
a tree that has fallen,
a star that has dropped,
a boat that has lost its shore.

The Pullover Shirt

No matter what I say,
this child takes off something
along with his shirt.
Again he’s fallen asleep
without putting on pyjamas, naked.
Tucking him in,
I carefully look at him:
Is this my child?
I pick up his shirt.
Again I look into his sleeping face.
Is this my child?
No, I don’t, I don’t know
the child sleeping here:
a tree that has fallen,
a star that has dropped,
a boat that has lost its shore.
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