Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Nils Chr. Moe-Repstad

POISONING 16

We were already poisoned: changing in shape
hasty to betray, we incinerated intimacy in all spaces

I would say what I should have said
in this and the previous century
but I entered into a contract with what I saw out the window
and chose the clouds

the We became homeless, I was the last emperor
don’t forget that when your fields have no end
down by the sea and the islands and the waiting boats

I lie among feathers and wait for sea eagles
no disease in that, no humiliations
and the atmosphere is flipped: the exosphere is lowest

‘when the lungs are acclimated
and I can jump so high that I become weightless
I will soar with the eagles’

the universe is expanding
but the contract I signed with the clouds
is witnessed and registered in our solar system

if you wait for the morning fog this summer
it will seep in from the south, over the sea
over the islands, over the long fields

and if you attach a plastic cloth between the rails
on the balcony, it will collect more humidity than the skin

and you can sign in water
with your ring finger or your lips

16e VERGIFTIGING

We waren al vergiftigd: veranderend van vorm,
haastig in verraad, verbrandden we nabijheid in alle kamers

ik wilde zeggen wat ik had moeten zeggen
in deze en de vorige eeuw
maar ik ging een contract aan met wat ik uit het raam zag
en koos de wolken

het wij werd eigendomloos, ik was de laatste keizer
vergeet dat niet wanneer je velden oneindig zijn
tot aan de zee en de eilanden en de boten die wachten

ik lig in veren en wacht op de zeearenden
niets ziekelijks aan, niets vernederends
en de atmosfeer is omgekeerd: de exosfeer ligt onderop

‘als de longen eraan gewend zijn
en ik zo hoog kan springen dat ik gewichtloos word
zal ik zweven als de arenden’

het universum breidt zich uit
maar het contract dat ik heb ondertekend in de wolken
is bekrachtigd en geregistreerd in ons zonnestelsel

als je deze zomer op de ochtendmist wacht
komt hij vanuit het zuiden, over de zee
over de eilanden, de uitgestrekte velden

en bevestig je een plastic zeil om de zuilen
op het balkon, verzamelt dat meer vochtigheid dan de huid

en je kunt in water ondertekenen
met je ringvinger of je lippen

16. FORGIFTNING

Vi var allerede forgiftet: skiftende i form
hastige i svik, forbrant vi nærhet i alle rom

jeg skulle si hva jeg burde sagt
i dette og forrige århundre
men laget en kontrakt med det jeg så ut av vinduet
og valgte skyene

vi-et ble eiendomsløst, jeg var den siste keiseren
glem ikke det når jordene dine er uendelige
ned mot havet og øyene og båtene som venter

jeg ligger mellom fjær og venter på havørnene
ingen sykdom i det, ingen ydmykelser
og atmosfæren er snudd: eksosfæren er nederst

«når lungene er tilvennet
og jeg kan hoppe så høyt at jeg blir jeg vektløs
skal jeg sveve som ørnene»

universet ekspanderer
men kontrakten jeg har skrevet i skyene
er bevitnet og tinglyst i vårt solsystem

venter du på morgentåken denne sommeren
siger den inn fra syd, over havet
over øyene, de langstrakte jordene

og fester du en plastduk mellom søylene
på balkongen, samler den mer fuktighet enn huden

og du kan signere i vann
med ringfingeren eller leppene
Close

POISONING 16

We were already poisoned: changing in shape
hasty to betray, we incinerated intimacy in all spaces

I would say what I should have said
in this and the previous century
but I entered into a contract with what I saw out the window
and chose the clouds

the We became homeless, I was the last emperor
don’t forget that when your fields have no end
down by the sea and the islands and the waiting boats

I lie among feathers and wait for sea eagles
no disease in that, no humiliations
and the atmosphere is flipped: the exosphere is lowest

‘when the lungs are acclimated
and I can jump so high that I become weightless
I will soar with the eagles’

the universe is expanding
but the contract I signed with the clouds
is witnessed and registered in our solar system

if you wait for the morning fog this summer
it will seep in from the south, over the sea
over the islands, over the long fields

and if you attach a plastic cloth between the rails
on the balcony, it will collect more humidity than the skin

and you can sign in water
with your ring finger or your lips

POISONING 16

We were already poisoned: changing in shape
hasty to betray, we incinerated intimacy in all spaces

I would say what I should have said
in this and the previous century
but I entered into a contract with what I saw out the window
and chose the clouds

the We became homeless, I was the last emperor
don’t forget that when your fields have no end
down by the sea and the islands and the waiting boats

I lie among feathers and wait for sea eagles
no disease in that, no humiliations
and the atmosphere is flipped: the exosphere is lowest

‘when the lungs are acclimated
and I can jump so high that I become weightless
I will soar with the eagles’

the universe is expanding
but the contract I signed with the clouds
is witnessed and registered in our solar system

if you wait for the morning fog this summer
it will seep in from the south, over the sea
over the islands, over the long fields

and if you attach a plastic cloth between the rails
on the balcony, it will collect more humidity than the skin

and you can sign in water
with your ring finger or your lips
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère