Poem

Marije Langelaar

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City

The city trots through the night on hooves
long reins around buildings whiplashes in the square
from sheer excitement the bells ring
bricks loosen their grip
bikes rattle onto the streets, ovens. Enough.
The city settles on a bank
from all the jingling and chiming the fish awaken
slippery and distraught

Stad

Op hoeven draaft de stad de nacht door
lange teugels om gebouwen zweepslagen op het plein
van opwinding luiden de klokken
bakstenen laten hun greep los
ﬁetsen ratelen de straat op, fornuizen. Genoeg.
De stad strijkt neer bij een oever
door het rinkelen en gongen ontwaken de vissen
glad en radeloos

Marije Langelaar

(The Netherlands, 1978)

Marije Langelaar (Goes, 1978) is an artist and poet. She won literary acclaim with her first collection, De rivier als vlakte (The river as plain). For her second collection, De schuur in (Into the shed), she was awarded the biennial Hugues C. Pernath Prize, and the book was also nominated for the Jo Peters Poetry Prize and the J.C. Bloem Prize. Her latest collection Vonkt (It Sparks) won the J...