Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Marion Poschmann

MEAN WORK PERFORMED LIKE A DIVA

look at this attached place. what do you make of it?

negation of landscape.
plants that have no business existing. a cable-like
plant connecting us to the green lung:
it bends all the way down from its switching desk,
condescending with stretched, twisting neck, a snake,
briefly providing us with information. every gadgety scrap of it
takes on an s-shape just like in the advice books from the fifties
“please be so kind as to let us tell you nothing.”

ochre-yellow fields, ochre-yellow sky, circling distance shot.

the political idea of the industrial zone, the floor covering of which
looks like carpet from afar, would be all about the interior:
free of all weather, free of all homelessness: where it looks
just the same inside all the warehouse halls as outside.
then add cars, exhibited on carpets,
high-level comfort for gadgets which possess merely borrowed
intelligence. gadgetry, the images of which are distributed
like the portraits of rulers.

punch-card systems, early computers, wild animals playing too.

we occupy the steps at the station entrance, an action, clearly
pre-punched. are a drink exactly fitting the round
hole stamped in a folding tray. now we are once more daring to pass judgement.
strong opinions. anger. the whole caboodle. we reject
ready-made salads in plastic bowls. we forgive architectural errors,
those entrance foyers that are nothing but doormats, daringly
we enter there. I still need a collapsible tub
for my journey.

ROTBAANTJES ALS EEN DIVA UITGEVOERD

zie de bijgevoegde plek, wat vind je ervan?

ontkenning of landschap.
planten die niet kunnen bestaan. een kabelachtige
plant die ons met de groene long verbindt:
hij buigt zich vanaf zijn schakelpaneel ver naar beneden,
neerbuigend met verlengde hals, een slang
die ons even informeert. elke inlichting krijgt
een S-vorm zoals in adviesboeken uit de jaren 50.
‘sta me toe dat ik u niets zeg.’

okergele velden, okergele lucht, draaiend panorama.

het politieke idee van een industriegebied waarvan de vloerbedekking
er van ver als tapijt uitziet, zou een en al interieur zijn:
gespeend van welk weer, welke dakloosheid ook: waar het er
in alle magazijnen net zo uitziet als buiten.
daarbij komen nog auto’s, op tapijten tentoongesteld,
groot comfort voor toestellen die alleen maar over geleende
intelligentie beschikken. toestel waarvan de beelden worden verspreid
zoals portretten van machthebbers.

ponskaartsystemen, vroege computers. ook wilde dieren spelen.

wij bezetten de trappen voor het stationsportaal, een handeling, duidelijk
gestanst, zijn een drankje dat precies in de ronde uitsparing
op een klaptafeltje past. we durven nu weer te evalueren.
uitgesproken meningen. woede. de totale tafel. we hoeven geen
kant-en-klare slaatjes in plastic schoteltjes. we zien bouwgebreken
door de vingers, de ingangen die enkel uit voetmat bestaan, vermetel
betreden we ze. ik heb nog een opvouwbare badkuip nodig
voor op reis.

NIEDERE ARBEITEN DIVENHAFT AUSGEFÜHRT

sieh den beiliegenden Ort, was hältst du davon?

Negation oder Landschaft.
Pflanzen, die es nicht geben kann. eine kabelartige
Pflanze, die uns mit der grünen Lunge verbindet:
sie beugt sich von ihrem Schalterpult weit hinunter,
sie läßt sich herab mit verlängertem Hals, eine Schlange,
die uns kurz Auskunft gibt. jede Information gerät
s-förmig wie in den Ratgebern aus den 50er Jahren.
„gestatten Sie, daß ich Ihnen nichts sage.“

ockergelbe Felder, ockergelber Himmel, kreiselnde Fernsicht.

die politische Idee des Industriegebiets, dessen Bodenbelag
von weitem wie Teppich wirkt, wäre ganz Innenraum:
bar jeden Wetters, bar jeder Obdachlosigkeit: wo es
in allen Lagerhallen ebenso aussieht wie außerhalb.
dazu kommen Automobile, auf Teppichen ausgestellt,
hoher Komfort für Geräte, die lediglich über geliehene
Intelligenz verfügen. Gerät, dessen Bilder verbreitet werden
wie Herrscherporträts.

Lochkartensysteme, frühe Computer. auch wilde Tiere spielen.

wir besetzen die Treppen am Bahnhofsportal, eine Handlung, klar
vorgestanzt. sind ein Getränk, das exakt in die runde Vertiefung
auf einem Klapptablett paßt. wir wagen jetzt wieder zu werten.
starke Meinungen. Zorn. der totale Tisch. wir verzichten
auf Fertigsalate in Plastikschalen. wir verzeihen Gebäudefehler, 
jene Eingänge, die rein aus Fußmatte bestehen, verwegen
betreten wir sie. ich brauche noch eine zusammenfaltbare Wanne
für meine Reise.
Close

MEAN WORK PERFORMED LIKE A DIVA

look at this attached place. what do you make of it?

negation of landscape.
plants that have no business existing. a cable-like
plant connecting us to the green lung:
it bends all the way down from its switching desk,
condescending with stretched, twisting neck, a snake,
briefly providing us with information. every gadgety scrap of it
takes on an s-shape just like in the advice books from the fifties
“please be so kind as to let us tell you nothing.”

ochre-yellow fields, ochre-yellow sky, circling distance shot.

the political idea of the industrial zone, the floor covering of which
looks like carpet from afar, would be all about the interior:
free of all weather, free of all homelessness: where it looks
just the same inside all the warehouse halls as outside.
then add cars, exhibited on carpets,
high-level comfort for gadgets which possess merely borrowed
intelligence. gadgetry, the images of which are distributed
like the portraits of rulers.

punch-card systems, early computers, wild animals playing too.

we occupy the steps at the station entrance, an action, clearly
pre-punched. are a drink exactly fitting the round
hole stamped in a folding tray. now we are once more daring to pass judgement.
strong opinions. anger. the whole caboodle. we reject
ready-made salads in plastic bowls. we forgive architectural errors,
those entrance foyers that are nothing but doormats, daringly
we enter there. I still need a collapsible tub
for my journey.

MEAN WORK PERFORMED LIKE A DIVA

look at this attached place. what do you make of it?

negation of landscape.
plants that have no business existing. a cable-like
plant connecting us to the green lung:
it bends all the way down from its switching desk,
condescending with stretched, twisting neck, a snake,
briefly providing us with information. every gadgety scrap of it
takes on an s-shape just like in the advice books from the fifties
“please be so kind as to let us tell you nothing.”

ochre-yellow fields, ochre-yellow sky, circling distance shot.

the political idea of the industrial zone, the floor covering of which
looks like carpet from afar, would be all about the interior:
free of all weather, free of all homelessness: where it looks
just the same inside all the warehouse halls as outside.
then add cars, exhibited on carpets,
high-level comfort for gadgets which possess merely borrowed
intelligence. gadgetry, the images of which are distributed
like the portraits of rulers.

punch-card systems, early computers, wild animals playing too.

we occupy the steps at the station entrance, an action, clearly
pre-punched. are a drink exactly fitting the round
hole stamped in a folding tray. now we are once more daring to pass judgement.
strong opinions. anger. the whole caboodle. we reject
ready-made salads in plastic bowls. we forgive architectural errors,
those entrance foyers that are nothing but doormats, daringly
we enter there. I still need a collapsible tub
for my journey.
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