Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Borben Vladović

Washing on the Line

Backyards of the poor by the railway
    were cut by
washing lines with clothes drying.
Women’s wet hearts were drying
and the frozen legs of trousers.
    Train carriages were
making a noise and in their reflecting windows
clothes were fluttering and travelling
instead of their owners.
    Passengers
get their eyes, hands, ears,
mouths covered, but not their noses
so they can smell their destination
piled with neat clothes

Rublje na užetu

Rublje na užetu

Siromaška dvorišta uz prugu
    presijecaju
užeta s rubljem koje se suši
Suše se mokra ženska srca
i hlače smrznutih nogavica
    Kloparaju
vagoni u čijim odraznim prozorima
rublje leprša i putuje
umjesto njihovih vlasnika
    Putnici
daju si vezati oči, ruke
uši, ista, ali ne i nos
da bi namirisali svoje odredište
puno spremljenog rublja
Close

Washing on the Line

Backyards of the poor by the railway
    were cut by
washing lines with clothes drying.
Women’s wet hearts were drying
and the frozen legs of trousers.
    Train carriages were
making a noise and in their reflecting windows
clothes were fluttering and travelling
instead of their owners.
    Passengers
get their eyes, hands, ears,
mouths covered, but not their noses
so they can smell their destination
piled with neat clothes

Washing on the Line

Backyards of the poor by the railway
    were cut by
washing lines with clothes drying.
Women’s wet hearts were drying
and the frozen legs of trousers.
    Train carriages were
making a noise and in their reflecting windows
clothes were fluttering and travelling
instead of their owners.
    Passengers
get their eyes, hands, ears,
mouths covered, but not their noses
so they can smell their destination
piled with neat clothes
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