Poem
Marije Langelaar
IJmuiden
Come together these cells with a form of ambitionslide snakelike through a tube that traps us
here we have to adjust so many times we want to escape! Instead of that we give ourselves courage, an ear is formed, we shall hear! We don eyes we shall see, we blink dutifully, the fingers grow we shall feel. Joyful we become and full of expectation.
We come outside, let off a cry more piercing than the light. We are blind, deaf, dumb and numb all at once. Horrific thoughts enter then we are one of them. They celebrate our arrival jubilantly. Call us baby. It is not easy for us take us back somewhere deep in the brain we cannot cope with so much humptydumpty.
We allow ourselves to be filled with all their thoughts, they pull us into babygrows, nappies, we gurgle and it is only in flashes suddenly at the sea in IJmuiden that we vaguely recall, weren’t we once such a sea that
leaps up on rocks, that sparkles.
© Translation: 2012, Diane Butterman
Publisher: First published on PIW, , 2012
Publisher: First published on PIW, , 2012
IJmuiden
IJmuiden
Komen samen deze cellen met een vorm van ambitieglijden slanggelijk een buis door die ons klemt
hier moeten we wennen zoveel keren willen we vluchten!
In plaats daarvan spreken we ons moed in, een oor wordt
gevormd, we zullen horen! We dragen ogen we zullen
zien, we knipperen plichtsgewijs, de vingers groeien we
zullen tasten. Vreugdevol worden we en vol
verwachting.
We komen naar buiten, slaan een kreet nog schriller dan
het licht. We zijn blind, doof, stom en lam tegelijk.
Horrific thoughts enter dan zijn we een van hen. Ze
vieren onze komst uitbundig. Noemen ons baby. Het zit
ons niet mee trekken ons terug ergens ver in de hersens zo veel humptiedumptie kunnen we niet aan.
We laten ons volgieten met al hun gedachten, ze hijsen
ons in broekpakken, luiers, we kirren en het is slechts bij
flitsen ineens voor de zee van IJmuiden, dat we ons
vaaglijk herinneren waren wij niet eens zo’n zee die
opspringt aan rotsen, die fonkelt.
From: Vonkt
Publisher: De Arbeiderpers, Amsterdam
Publisher: De Arbeiderpers, Amsterdam
Poems
Poems of Marije Langelaar
Close
IJmuiden
Come together these cells with a form of ambitionslide snakelike through a tube that traps us
here we have to adjust so many times we want to escape! Instead of that we give ourselves courage, an ear is formed, we shall hear! We don eyes we shall see, we blink dutifully, the fingers grow we shall feel. Joyful we become and full of expectation.
We come outside, let off a cry more piercing than the light. We are blind, deaf, dumb and numb all at once. Horrific thoughts enter then we are one of them. They celebrate our arrival jubilantly. Call us baby. It is not easy for us take us back somewhere deep in the brain we cannot cope with so much humptydumpty.
We allow ourselves to be filled with all their thoughts, they pull us into babygrows, nappies, we gurgle and it is only in flashes suddenly at the sea in IJmuiden that we vaguely recall, weren’t we once such a sea that
leaps up on rocks, that sparkles.
© 2012, Diane Butterman
From: Vonkt
Publisher: 2012, First published on PIW, Amsterdam
From: Vonkt
Publisher: 2012, First published on PIW, Amsterdam
IJmuiden
Come together these cells with a form of ambitionslide snakelike through a tube that traps us
here we have to adjust so many times we want to escape! Instead of that we give ourselves courage, an ear is formed, we shall hear! We don eyes we shall see, we blink dutifully, the fingers grow we shall feel. Joyful we become and full of expectation.
We come outside, let off a cry more piercing than the light. We are blind, deaf, dumb and numb all at once. Horrific thoughts enter then we are one of them. They celebrate our arrival jubilantly. Call us baby. It is not easy for us take us back somewhere deep in the brain we cannot cope with so much humptydumpty.
We allow ourselves to be filled with all their thoughts, they pull us into babygrows, nappies, we gurgle and it is only in flashes suddenly at the sea in IJmuiden that we vaguely recall, weren’t we once such a sea that
leaps up on rocks, that sparkles.
© 2012, Diane Butterman
Publisher: 2012, First published on PIW,
Publisher: 2012, First published on PIW,
Sponsors
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère