Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Martin Reints

Halfway

Right at the end of the passage is a door
but 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.

Halverwege

Halverwege

Helemaal aan het eind van de gang is een deur
maar 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.
Close

Halfway

Right at the end of the passage is a door
but 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.

Halfway

Right at the end of the passage is a door
but 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.
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