Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Michèle Métail

Maze – you are here (1)

tracks, trips, rumble rimmed
in steel rails and grey, ties
continuous course of ballast
rolling and unwinding on curves
its rubbing, with muffled sound
and approaches, imminent to signal
switching, where steeled in
rails in steel branch off
traced grounded, a single stretch
in slow motion, the mechanical pull
runs out the rhythm and lower
slowly to its destination, screeches
at the town’s curtain, scenery
edges, sliding signals
that display, icons around
words, stamped archives
wherever, from an ordinary place
without any distinctions, except
waiting, at the stop announcing
moment, glimpses, that, unique
known name indicating the trip
when this way it ends and begins
produced from the distance
geographical space, exile
by graph, x-axis, position
placed on platform, arrival station

Dédale – vous êtes ici (1)

Dédale – vous êtes ici (1)

Voies, voyages, le roulement ferré
dans ses rails et gris, traverses
continu cheminement du ballast
roulant déroulant sur la courbe
ses frottements, d’un bruit sourd
et s’approche, imminent au signal
l’aiguillage, où bifurque ferrée
la voie enferrée de ses remblais
tracé concassé, une seule traite
au ralenti, la traînée mécanique
s’essoufle le rythme et plus bas
lenteur à la destination, crisse
aux coulisses de la ville, décors
les bas-côtés, panneaux glissant
qui s’affichent, icônes alentour
des mots, archives estampillées
où n’importe, d’un lieu quelconque
dépourvu des distinctions, sauf
dans l’attente, à l’arrêt du moment
annoncé, s’entrevoit, quel, unique
le nom connu à désigner le voyage
quand par là il finit et commence
rendu possible de l’éloignement
intervalle géographique, l’exil
par le graphe, abscisse, position
déposé sur le quai, gare d'arrivée
Close

Maze – you are here (1)

tracks, trips, rumble rimmed
in steel rails and grey, ties
continuous course of ballast
rolling and unwinding on curves
its rubbing, with muffled sound
and approaches, imminent to signal
switching, where steeled in
rails in steel branch off
traced grounded, a single stretch
in slow motion, the mechanical pull
runs out the rhythm and lower
slowly to its destination, screeches
at the town’s curtain, scenery
edges, sliding signals
that display, icons around
words, stamped archives
wherever, from an ordinary place
without any distinctions, except
waiting, at the stop announcing
moment, glimpses, that, unique
known name indicating the trip
when this way it ends and begins
produced from the distance
geographical space, exile
by graph, x-axis, position
placed on platform, arrival station

Maze – you are here (1)

tracks, trips, rumble rimmed
in steel rails and grey, ties
continuous course of ballast
rolling and unwinding on curves
its rubbing, with muffled sound
and approaches, imminent to signal
switching, where steeled in
rails in steel branch off
traced grounded, a single stretch
in slow motion, the mechanical pull
runs out the rhythm and lower
slowly to its destination, screeches
at the town’s curtain, scenery
edges, sliding signals
that display, icons around
words, stamped archives
wherever, from an ordinary place
without any distinctions, except
waiting, at the stop announcing
moment, glimpses, that, unique
known name indicating the trip
when this way it ends and begins
produced from the distance
geographical space, exile
by graph, x-axis, position
placed on platform, arrival station
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