Poem
K. Schippers
THE GIFT
Give me what you have on you.Neither keys nor money.
Make it something temporary.
The hastily scribbled phone number.
The dry-cleaned piece of paper in your coat pocket.
The button about to fall off.
The words you just held back from saying.
Your strength too much to open a door.
All the things you no longer need.
Give me the rustle of your cotton.
The wind can do without.
© Translation: 2012, Willem Groenewegen
DE GIFT
DE GIFT
Geef mij wat je bij je hebt.Geen sleutels of geld.
Wel wat er maar even is.
Het vlug gekrabbelde telefoonnummer.
Het meegestoomde papiertje in je jaszak.
De knoop op het punt van verliezen.
De woorden die je net niet hebt gezegd.
Je kracht te veel om een deur open te doen.
Alles waar je niets meer aan hebt.
Geef mij het geruis van je katoen.
De wind kan wel zonder.
© 2011, K. Schippers
From: tellen en wegen
Publisher: Querido, Amsterdam
From: tellen en wegen
Publisher: Querido, Amsterdam
Poems
Poems of K. Schippers
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THE GIFT
Give me what you have on you.Neither keys nor money.
Make it something temporary.
The hastily scribbled phone number.
The dry-cleaned piece of paper in your coat pocket.
The button about to fall off.
The words you just held back from saying.
Your strength too much to open a door.
All the things you no longer need.
Give me the rustle of your cotton.
The wind can do without.
© 2012, Willem Groenewegen
From: tellen en wegen
From: tellen en wegen
THE GIFT
Give me what you have on you.Neither keys nor money.
Make it something temporary.
The hastily scribbled phone number.
The dry-cleaned piece of paper in your coat pocket.
The button about to fall off.
The words you just held back from saying.
Your strength too much to open a door.
All the things you no longer need.
Give me the rustle of your cotton.
The wind can do without.
© 2012, Willem Groenewegen
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