Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Jan Lauwereyns

THE THIRD DAY

The man was old he had no courage had no strength had just
a dog that guided him to scents faint

hints of her his love who’d vanished just like that

he searched and found whatever pencils puppets
things he wasn’t looking for but kept collecting photos

of other lovers children waiting good as gold

with yellow hats on doubtless dead now drowned
or crushed by something cracked cold meat

best not thought about the man was far too old

he couldn’t get his head round who had died
and why and how or get his head round those still living

DE DERDE DAG

DE DERDE DAG

De man was oud hij had geen moed geen kracht alleen
een hond die hem naar geuren voerde vage
 
sporen van haar de geliefde die zomaar was verdwenen
 
hij zocht en vond van alles pennen poppen
dingen die hij niet zocht maar bleef verzamelen foto’s
 
van andere geliefdes kinderen netjes wachtend
 
gele hoedjes op nu dood wellicht verzopen
of ergens onder geplet gespleten spijs
 
hij mocht er niet aan denken de man was veel te oud
 
begreep geen snars van wie gestorven waren
waarom en hoe geen snars van zij die blijven leven. 
Close

THE THIRD DAY

The man was old he had no courage had no strength had just
a dog that guided him to scents faint

hints of her his love who’d vanished just like that

he searched and found whatever pencils puppets
things he wasn’t looking for but kept collecting photos

of other lovers children waiting good as gold

with yellow hats on doubtless dead now drowned
or crushed by something cracked cold meat

best not thought about the man was far too old

he couldn’t get his head round who had died
and why and how or get his head round those still living

THE THIRD DAY

The man was old he had no courage had no strength had just
a dog that guided him to scents faint

hints of her his love who’d vanished just like that

he searched and found whatever pencils puppets
things he wasn’t looking for but kept collecting photos

of other lovers children waiting good as gold

with yellow hats on doubtless dead now drowned
or crushed by something cracked cold meat

best not thought about the man was far too old

he couldn’t get his head round who had died
and why and how or get his head round those still living
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