Poem
Antjie Krog
WHERE I BECOME YOU (5.)
5.dismantled starfoam
stripped
swaggering starheaps of ruin
dust that thickens latent and formless
gravity’s force imposes her will
and gone at once
all sheltering
vulnerably reeling clots form their blades of light
stars vulnerable
stars pockmarked
how the spiral arms linger
around the new stately tilting tenderness
how chaotic the swirling
starspittle
starfoamfog
we could have been the ones together
if we could have recruited each other more bloodily
but now you come to recover me
at the other end of this giddy world
to be taken-apart-set-down
the nails in blood
the milk in bones
the phosphorus in the cortex
we, yes we consist of stardust
stars tongueblind
stars dying
so unimaginably we roar
so gigantically we carry our equilibrium
that, when we are cold
we glow as we burn
© Translation: 2009, Karen Press
WHERE I BECOME YOU (5.)
5.
ontmantelende sterreskuim
onttakeld
swierende sterrehope puin-
stof wat vormloos en maakbaar verdig
swaartekrag lê haar wil op
en weg meteens
alle geborge-wees
kwesbaar-tollend vorm die klodders hulle lemmende lig
sterre kwesbaar
sterre pokdalig
hoe draal die spiraalarms
om die pas statig-getilte teerheid
hoe chaoties die wirwar
sterre-speeksel
sterreskuimnewel
ons sou die saamwesendes kon gewees het
as ons bloeiender mekaar in die greep kon werf
maar nou kom jy my verhaal
aan die anderkant van hierdie skonkige wêreld
om uit-mekaar-uit-neer-gesit te word
die spykers in bloed
die melk in bene
die fosfor in die harsingkors
ons, ja ons bestáán uit sterrestof
sterre tongblind
sterre sterwend
so onvoorstelbaar dreun ons
so gigant dra ons ons ewewig
dat, as ons koud is
gloei ons soos ons brand
ontmantelende sterreskuim
onttakeld
swierende sterrehope puin-
stof wat vormloos en maakbaar verdig
swaartekrag lê haar wil op
en weg meteens
alle geborge-wees
kwesbaar-tollend vorm die klodders hulle lemmende lig
sterre kwesbaar
sterre pokdalig
hoe draal die spiraalarms
om die pas statig-getilte teerheid
hoe chaoties die wirwar
sterre-speeksel
sterreskuimnewel
ons sou die saamwesendes kon gewees het
as ons bloeiender mekaar in die greep kon werf
maar nou kom jy my verhaal
aan die anderkant van hierdie skonkige wêreld
om uit-mekaar-uit-neer-gesit te word
die spykers in bloed
die melk in bene
die fosfor in die harsingkors
ons, ja ons bestáán uit sterrestof
sterre tongblind
sterre sterwend
so onvoorstelbaar dreun ons
so gigant dra ons ons ewewig
dat, as ons koud is
gloei ons soos ons brand
© 2009, Antjie Krog
From: Waar ik jou word
Publisher: Poetry International / Uitgeverij Podium, Rotterdam / Amsterdam
From: Waar ik jou word
Publisher: Poetry International / Uitgeverij Podium, Rotterdam / Amsterdam
Poems
Poems of Antjie Krog
Close
WHERE I BECOME YOU (5.)
5.dismantled starfoam
stripped
swaggering starheaps of ruin
dust that thickens latent and formless
gravity’s force imposes her will
and gone at once
all sheltering
vulnerably reeling clots form their blades of light
stars vulnerable
stars pockmarked
how the spiral arms linger
around the new stately tilting tenderness
how chaotic the swirling
starspittle
starfoamfog
we could have been the ones together
if we could have recruited each other more bloodily
but now you come to recover me
at the other end of this giddy world
to be taken-apart-set-down
the nails in blood
the milk in bones
the phosphorus in the cortex
we, yes we consist of stardust
stars tongueblind
stars dying
so unimaginably we roar
so gigantically we carry our equilibrium
that, when we are cold
we glow as we burn
© 2009, Karen Press
From: Waar ik jou word
From: Waar ik jou word
WHERE I BECOME YOU (5.)
5.dismantled starfoam
stripped
swaggering starheaps of ruin
dust that thickens latent and formless
gravity’s force imposes her will
and gone at once
all sheltering
vulnerably reeling clots form their blades of light
stars vulnerable
stars pockmarked
how the spiral arms linger
around the new stately tilting tenderness
how chaotic the swirling
starspittle
starfoamfog
we could have been the ones together
if we could have recruited each other more bloodily
but now you come to recover me
at the other end of this giddy world
to be taken-apart-set-down
the nails in blood
the milk in bones
the phosphorus in the cortex
we, yes we consist of stardust
stars tongueblind
stars dying
so unimaginably we roar
so gigantically we carry our equilibrium
that, when we are cold
we glow as we burn
© 2009, Karen Press
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