Poem
Marije Langelaar
Spark
And they asked me back for that radio programmeI still don’t know why
because most of what I did was say nothing
but the presenter stressed that this
was just what people needed at the present day.
So there I was sitting behind a microphone once again
and saying nothing
and I went on to cast doubt on all phenomena, ideas,
figures, things and beings. And myself of course
and the presenter who started rubbing his
moustache nervously. That worked well for me. I’d discovered my talent.
And out of nowhere I talked about the little spark, small
and humming due to which I had again started cautiously believing
in the world, numbers, phenomena, planets,
materials and people. There is a spark in you.
Oh yes! a spark in you. Because that spark is in me, apart from that
I know nothing my mental powers are zilch, no sight,
no hearing, I swim in nothingness but I know
there is a spark in this table, this lamp and in you dear
listener.
I was so much in my element that my words caught fire.
There is a spark in you dear presenter! I
told him it to his face across the table.
He turned so pale and embarrassed that I stopped
in mid-speech.
Flaming and trembling I made my way home, went and
laid down in my bed flaming and trembling. Fell in a
flaming and trembling sleep and woke up again
flaming and trembling.
And as soon as I woke, I wrote a letter to
the paper explaining my dream. Everything has
to catch fire dear people. And
out of sheer enthusiasm I went out onto the street
to shake people’s hands
because I was no longer capable of just sitting still on a bench in the park.
I wanted to touch everyone and confirm there is
a spark in you and shout it out. And this is how I pass my days
nowadays yes quite a contrast with how I once
started out, deaf blind silent and empty.
Now I invent hopscotch and other children’s games and
with every hop on the pavement I call out loud and
clear Spark! Spark! Now!
© Translation: 2020, Donald Gardner
VONK
VONK
En ze vroegen me terug voor dat radioprogrammaik weet nog steeds niet waarom
want ik had vooral gezwegen
maar de presentator benadrukte dat men daar
nood aan heeft vandaag de dag.
Dus zat ik daar weer achter een microfoon
en zweeg
en ontkrachtte vervolgens alle fenomenen, ideeën,
gestalten, dingen en wezens. En mijzelf natuurlijk
en de presentator die zenuwachtig aan zijn snor ging
wrijven. Dat ging me goed af. Ik had mijn talent ontdekt.
En vanuit het niets vertelde ik over het vonkje, klein
en zoemend waardoor ik voorzichtig weer in de
wereld, getallen, fenomenen, planeten, materialen
en mensen ging geloven. Er zit een vonk in u.
Jazeker vonk in u. Want die vonk is in mij, ik weet
verder niets mijn denkkracht is nihil, geen zicht,
geen gehoor, ik zwem in het niets maar ik weet
er is een vonk in deze tafel, deze lamp en in u beste
luisteraar.
Ik was dusdanig op dreef dat mijn woorden vlam vatten.
Er zit een vonk in u beste presentator! Ik
smeet het over de tafel.
Hij werd zo bleek en ongemakkelijk dat ik mijn
woordvoering staakte.
Vlammend en trillend begaf ik mij naar huis, ging
vlammend en trillend in mijn bed liggen. Viel in een
vlammende en trillende slaap werd vlammend en
trillend weer wakker.
En schreef meteen bij het ontwaken een brief naar
de krant waarin ik mijn droom uitlegde. Alles moet
vlam vatten lieve mensen. En
van geestdrift ging ik naar buiten op straat de
mensen de hand schudden
want stilzitten op een bankje in het park daar kon
ik niet meer aan.
Ik wilde alle mensen aanraken en bevestigen er is
een vonk in u schreeuwen. En zo slijt ik mijn dagen
tegenwoordig ja nogal een contrast met hoe ik ooit
doof blind stom en leeg begon.
Nu bedenk ik hinkel – en andere kinderspelletjes en
bij elke sprong op de stoep roep ik hard en
eenvoudig Vonk! Vonk! Nu!
From: Vonkt
Publisher: De Arbeiderpers, Amsterdam
Publisher: De Arbeiderpers, Amsterdam
Poems
Poems of Marije Langelaar
Close
Spark
And they asked me back for that radio programmeI still don’t know why
because most of what I did was say nothing
but the presenter stressed that this
was just what people needed at the present day.
So there I was sitting behind a microphone once again
and saying nothing
and I went on to cast doubt on all phenomena, ideas,
figures, things and beings. And myself of course
and the presenter who started rubbing his
moustache nervously. That worked well for me. I’d discovered my talent.
And out of nowhere I talked about the little spark, small
and humming due to which I had again started cautiously believing
in the world, numbers, phenomena, planets,
materials and people. There is a spark in you.
Oh yes! a spark in you. Because that spark is in me, apart from that
I know nothing my mental powers are zilch, no sight,
no hearing, I swim in nothingness but I know
there is a spark in this table, this lamp and in you dear
listener.
I was so much in my element that my words caught fire.
There is a spark in you dear presenter! I
told him it to his face across the table.
He turned so pale and embarrassed that I stopped
in mid-speech.
Flaming and trembling I made my way home, went and
laid down in my bed flaming and trembling. Fell in a
flaming and trembling sleep and woke up again
flaming and trembling.
And as soon as I woke, I wrote a letter to
the paper explaining my dream. Everything has
to catch fire dear people. And
out of sheer enthusiasm I went out onto the street
to shake people’s hands
because I was no longer capable of just sitting still on a bench in the park.
I wanted to touch everyone and confirm there is
a spark in you and shout it out. And this is how I pass my days
nowadays yes quite a contrast with how I once
started out, deaf blind silent and empty.
Now I invent hopscotch and other children’s games and
with every hop on the pavement I call out loud and
clear Spark! Spark! Now!
© 2020, Donald Gardner
From: Vonkt
From: Vonkt
Spark
And they asked me back for that radio programmeI still don’t know why
because most of what I did was say nothing
but the presenter stressed that this
was just what people needed at the present day.
So there I was sitting behind a microphone once again
and saying nothing
and I went on to cast doubt on all phenomena, ideas,
figures, things and beings. And myself of course
and the presenter who started rubbing his
moustache nervously. That worked well for me. I’d discovered my talent.
And out of nowhere I talked about the little spark, small
and humming due to which I had again started cautiously believing
in the world, numbers, phenomena, planets,
materials and people. There is a spark in you.
Oh yes! a spark in you. Because that spark is in me, apart from that
I know nothing my mental powers are zilch, no sight,
no hearing, I swim in nothingness but I know
there is a spark in this table, this lamp and in you dear
listener.
I was so much in my element that my words caught fire.
There is a spark in you dear presenter! I
told him it to his face across the table.
He turned so pale and embarrassed that I stopped
in mid-speech.
Flaming and trembling I made my way home, went and
laid down in my bed flaming and trembling. Fell in a
flaming and trembling sleep and woke up again
flaming and trembling.
And as soon as I woke, I wrote a letter to
the paper explaining my dream. Everything has
to catch fire dear people. And
out of sheer enthusiasm I went out onto the street
to shake people’s hands
because I was no longer capable of just sitting still on a bench in the park.
I wanted to touch everyone and confirm there is
a spark in you and shout it out. And this is how I pass my days
nowadays yes quite a contrast with how I once
started out, deaf blind silent and empty.
Now I invent hopscotch and other children’s games and
with every hop on the pavement I call out loud and
clear Spark! Spark! Now!
© 2020, Donald Gardner
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