Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Peter Theunynck

ENGRAVING

The way people fly
in old engravings, so clear-cut
so credulous.

Between portraits of emperors
and soldiers, vertebrates and
whales, so irrefutable.

Did they lose the knack later on,
due to a loss of elasticity
in their fingers, too much lead

in their bloodline? Swallows
in waiting, chattering
on telephone wires.

GRAVURE

GRAVURE

Zoals mensen vliegen
in oude gravures, zo haarscherp
zo goedgelovig.

Tussen portretten van keizers
en soldaten, werveldieren en
walvissen, zo onweerlegbaar.

Hebben zij het later verleerd,
wegens te weinig veerkracht
in de vingers, te veel lood

in de vaders? Zwaluwen
in afwachting, kwetterend
aan telefoondraden.
Close

ENGRAVING

The way people fly
in old engravings, so clear-cut
so credulous.

Between portraits of emperors
and soldiers, vertebrates and
whales, so irrefutable.

Did they lose the knack later on,
due to a loss of elasticity
in their fingers, too much lead

in their bloodline? Swallows
in waiting, chattering
on telephone wires.

ENGRAVING

The way people fly
in old engravings, so clear-cut
so credulous.

Between portraits of emperors
and soldiers, vertebrates and
whales, so irrefutable.

Did they lose the knack later on,
due to a loss of elasticity
in their fingers, too much lead

in their bloodline? Swallows
in waiting, chattering
on telephone wires.
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