Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Charles Mungoshi

THE SIXTH YEAR

THE SIXTH YEAR

THE SIXTH YEAR

She’ll be coming in now
in a few minutes
out of the cold.
Warming the bed
I stare at the mount
of months of unwashed underwear
in a dark corner of our cramped bedroom.
My feet
have written
a clear message
from the door to the bed
in the accumulated dust
of years on the floor.
When she comes in
I will stare at her
And –
(as this stage of our relationship
now demands) –
She will not even see my stare.
Close

THE SIXTH YEAR

She’ll be coming in now
in a few minutes
out of the cold.
Warming the bed
I stare at the mount
of months of unwashed underwear
in a dark corner of our cramped bedroom.
My feet
have written
a clear message
from the door to the bed
in the accumulated dust
of years on the floor.
When she comes in
I will stare at her
And –
(as this stage of our relationship
now demands) –
She will not even see my stare.

THE SIXTH YEAR

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