Poem
Paul Bogaert
PROCEEDING TO THE LETTER
Proceeding to the letterand in the spirit of the scheduled starting time
he checks the buoys and the temperature
and shyly he traverses the zones.
– Hello colleague who, with pipettes and pots, lids
and mini-labels, securely honours the procedures.
– Hello Mister Chlorine Shock, drop dead and I’ll pay you
homage on the homepage.
– Good morning trainee with the sweet-and-sour grin.
– Hello colleague with the nice collage of plasters
(but must we have that in our canteen?) so early already
almost in the arms of the one with that squeaky Styrofoam voice.
– Hello gnome shower, once again today plainly obscene.
– Hello treacherous waterfall, tedious thing.
– Hello double massage water jet, I’ll see you later.
– Hello Sea Wave the Sea Wave that’s still of course asleep, tired
from all that unremitting, indifferent firmness and kindness.
– Hello underwater injection, how vigorous you are once more.
– Hello little rattling flap in the cursed corner.
– Hello hose pipe with the obstinate coil.
– Hello dripping tap.
Proceeding to the letter
and in the spirit of the scheduled starting time
he climbs (with stiff calves) in a routine way onto his chair.
There his shift bursts open
and in one spurt his attention gushes out.
© Translation: 2014, Diane Butterman
From: de Slalom soft
From: de Slalom soft
HANDELEND NAAR DE LETTER
HANDELEND NAAR DE LETTER
Handelend naar de letteren de geest van het aanvangsuur
controleert hij de boeien en de temperatuur
en doorkruist hij schuw de zones.
— Dag collega die met pipetten en potten, deksels
en mini-etiketten secuur de procedures eert.
— Dag Mister Chloorshock, val dood en je krijgt
op de homepage van mij een hommage.
— Goedemorgen stagiair met de zoetzure grijns.
— Dag collega van de leuke collage van pleisters
(maar moet dat in onze kantine?) zo vroeg al
bijna in de armen van die met de piepschuimen stem.
— Dag kabouterdouche, ook vandaag weer eenvoudig obsceen.
— Dag valse waterval, eentonig ding.
— Hallo dubbele massagestraal, ik zie je straks.
— Dag Golfslag de Golfslag die nu natuurlijk nog slaapt, moe
van al dat onverdroten, onverschillig slaan en zalven.
— Dag onderwaterinjectie, wat ben je weer krachtig.
— Dag klepperend klepje in de vervloekte hoek.
— Dag waterslang met de onwillige krinkel.
— Dag zwetende kraan.
Handelend naar de letter
en de geest van het aanvangsuur
beklimt hij routineus (met stijve kuiten) zijn stoel.
Daar scheurt zijn beurtrol open
en komt in één gulp al zijn aandacht los.
© 2009, Paul Bogaert
From: de Slalom soft
Publisher: Meulenhoff/Manteau, Antwerp
From: de Slalom soft
Publisher: Meulenhoff/Manteau, Antwerp
Poems
Poems of Paul Bogaert
Close
PROCEEDING TO THE LETTER
Proceeding to the letterand in the spirit of the scheduled starting time
he checks the buoys and the temperature
and shyly he traverses the zones.
– Hello colleague who, with pipettes and pots, lids
and mini-labels, securely honours the procedures.
– Hello Mister Chlorine Shock, drop dead and I’ll pay you
homage on the homepage.
– Good morning trainee with the sweet-and-sour grin.
– Hello colleague with the nice collage of plasters
(but must we have that in our canteen?) so early already
almost in the arms of the one with that squeaky Styrofoam voice.
– Hello gnome shower, once again today plainly obscene.
– Hello treacherous waterfall, tedious thing.
– Hello double massage water jet, I’ll see you later.
– Hello Sea Wave the Sea Wave that’s still of course asleep, tired
from all that unremitting, indifferent firmness and kindness.
– Hello underwater injection, how vigorous you are once more.
– Hello little rattling flap in the cursed corner.
– Hello hose pipe with the obstinate coil.
– Hello dripping tap.
Proceeding to the letter
and in the spirit of the scheduled starting time
he climbs (with stiff calves) in a routine way onto his chair.
There his shift bursts open
and in one spurt his attention gushes out.
© 2014, Diane Butterman
From: de Slalom soft
From: de Slalom soft
PROCEEDING TO THE LETTER
Proceeding to the letterand in the spirit of the scheduled starting time
he checks the buoys and the temperature
and shyly he traverses the zones.
– Hello colleague who, with pipettes and pots, lids
and mini-labels, securely honours the procedures.
– Hello Mister Chlorine Shock, drop dead and I’ll pay you
homage on the homepage.
– Good morning trainee with the sweet-and-sour grin.
– Hello colleague with the nice collage of plasters
(but must we have that in our canteen?) so early already
almost in the arms of the one with that squeaky Styrofoam voice.
– Hello gnome shower, once again today plainly obscene.
– Hello treacherous waterfall, tedious thing.
– Hello double massage water jet, I’ll see you later.
– Hello Sea Wave the Sea Wave that’s still of course asleep, tired
from all that unremitting, indifferent firmness and kindness.
– Hello underwater injection, how vigorous you are once more.
– Hello little rattling flap in the cursed corner.
– Hello hose pipe with the obstinate coil.
– Hello dripping tap.
Proceeding to the letter
and in the spirit of the scheduled starting time
he climbs (with stiff calves) in a routine way onto his chair.
There his shift bursts open
and in one spurt his attention gushes out.
© 2014, Diane Butterman
From: de Slalom soft
From: de Slalom soft
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