Poem
Martin Reints
Halfway
Right at the end of the passage is a doorbut you are halfway, in a room
sitting reading a book
you know that in a page and a half a new chapter starts
but you don’t know the name of that chapter yet
through the Venetian blind you can see that the bridge is open
and that it is closing once more
now a tram is slowly passing over
while a couple of passengers are keeping an eye
on each other over the edge of their newspapers
the conductress is talking via the intercom with the driver
and is already picturing to herself the final stop.
© Translation: 2011, John Irons
Halverwege
Halverwege
Helemaal aan het eind van de gang is een deurmaar jij bent halverwege, in een kamer
en je zit in een boek te lezen
je weet dat er over anderhalve bladzij een nieuw hoofdstuk begint
maar je weet nog niet hoe dat hoofdstuk heet
door de luxaflex heen kun je zien dat de brug openstaat
en dat hij weer dichtgaat
nu rijdt er langzaam een tram over
terwijl een paar passagiers elkaar over de
randen van hun kranten in de gaten houden
de conductrice zit via de intercom te praten met de bestuurder
en maakt zich alvast een voorstelling van de eindhalte.
© 2010, Martin Reints
From: Lopende zaken
Publisher: De Bezige Bij, Amsterdam
From: Lopende zaken
Publisher: De Bezige Bij, Amsterdam
Poems
Poems of Martin Reints
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Halfway
Right at the end of the passage is a doorbut you are halfway, in a room
sitting reading a book
you know that in a page and a half a new chapter starts
but you don’t know the name of that chapter yet
through the Venetian blind you can see that the bridge is open
and that it is closing once more
now a tram is slowly passing over
while a couple of passengers are keeping an eye
on each other over the edge of their newspapers
the conductress is talking via the intercom with the driver
and is already picturing to herself the final stop.
© 2011, John Irons
From: Lopende zaken
From: Lopende zaken
Halfway
Right at the end of the passage is a doorbut you are halfway, in a room
sitting reading a book
you know that in a page and a half a new chapter starts
but you don’t know the name of that chapter yet
through the Venetian blind you can see that the bridge is open
and that it is closing once more
now a tram is slowly passing over
while a couple of passengers are keeping an eye
on each other over the edge of their newspapers
the conductress is talking via the intercom with the driver
and is already picturing to herself the final stop.
© 2011, John Irons
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