Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Giriraj Kiradoo

Outside This Whole Construct

we had seen them hovering in the sky directly overhead
we did not know that these watchmen in the sky would come by for
their fee like the Nepali comes by once a month for his ten rupees
and that we\'d start waiting for them and that in waiting for them
we too would be caught by the same birds
we did not know that those whom we’d seen hovering directly
overhead would open their parachutes and collide with the same
nests as they fell and that dodging the frenzied firing in the air
we’d place a palm between the earth and the falling metaphor like
an afternoon between morning and evening

love is a nest made in the open

watching that metaphor we did not know that when the sky falls
with or without a parachute on this nest made in the open to hold
out against weather, heavenly watchmen, animals, souls and
meteors the nest falls apart and the sky caught in its twigs also falls
apart
if you happen to see somewhere those who were hovering over our
heads you will have ten rupees in your pocket won’t you?

outside
this whole construct
I declare
let my last rites be performed in the sky 

OUTSIDE THIS WHOLE CONSTRUCT

Close

Outside This Whole Construct

we had seen them hovering in the sky directly overhead
we did not know that these watchmen in the sky would come by for
their fee like the Nepali comes by once a month for his ten rupees
and that we\'d start waiting for them and that in waiting for them
we too would be caught by the same birds
we did not know that those whom we’d seen hovering directly
overhead would open their parachutes and collide with the same
nests as they fell and that dodging the frenzied firing in the air
we’d place a palm between the earth and the falling metaphor like
an afternoon between morning and evening

love is a nest made in the open

watching that metaphor we did not know that when the sky falls
with or without a parachute on this nest made in the open to hold
out against weather, heavenly watchmen, animals, souls and
meteors the nest falls apart and the sky caught in its twigs also falls
apart
if you happen to see somewhere those who were hovering over our
heads you will have ten rupees in your pocket won’t you?

outside
this whole construct
I declare
let my last rites be performed in the sky 

Outside This Whole Construct

we had seen them hovering in the sky directly overhead
we did not know that these watchmen in the sky would come by for
their fee like the Nepali comes by once a month for his ten rupees
and that we\'d start waiting for them and that in waiting for them
we too would be caught by the same birds
we did not know that those whom we’d seen hovering directly
overhead would open their parachutes and collide with the same
nests as they fell and that dodging the frenzied firing in the air
we’d place a palm between the earth and the falling metaphor like
an afternoon between morning and evening

love is a nest made in the open

watching that metaphor we did not know that when the sky falls
with or without a parachute on this nest made in the open to hold
out against weather, heavenly watchmen, animals, souls and
meteors the nest falls apart and the sky caught in its twigs also falls
apart
if you happen to see somewhere those who were hovering over our
heads you will have ten rupees in your pocket won’t you?

outside
this whole construct
I declare
let my last rites be performed in the sky 
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