Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Tonnus Oosterhoff

recently fell (I) fell

recently     fell    (I)   fell
a worn board gave way
(I)     landed     well    but  wrongly
rightly so,   but   well
nothing  broken  yet
broke      nothing

then all lost children
suddenly flowed underneath,
I became a sack of stooped, skinny children
I should not have fallen



all lost children
suddenly flowed underneath
and I became a sack of stooped, shivering boys
I should not have fallen

we passed through the fields
sometimes one did drown yet
more often not, not us



we passed through the meadows
where one did drown, sometimes
yet more often not, not us

a cloud as a floe
in the hard wind
above the river
I go tonight
clouds as floes
in the hard wind
above the river
attack in flight

on the water floated a gauge
in the waves drifted an anchor



ice floes in the hard wind
on the river. the hard wind on the river
I go tonight
the clouds pile up
against the moon


recently     fell    (I)   fell
a worn board gave way
(I)     landed       well    but    wrongly
rightly so,   but   well
nothing  broken  yet

broke      nothing



play school the lower back  
I used to be a stooped boy
with my back against the wall



recently     fell    (I)   fell
a worn board gave way
(I)     landed       well    but    wrongly
rightly so,   but   well
nothing  broken  yet

we passed through the fields
sometimes one did drown, yet
more often not, not us

kill the curtain



head became heavy
after the fall I could get up right away
broke      nothing
_

afer the fall I could not get up
broke      nothing



it could get up right away after the fall

the just fallen snow could get up right away
the just shot lion could get up right away
the woman in childbirth, café lioness, up and away



head becomes so heavy
head becomes so heavy
brain foaming brown
pig seeks redress,



my head, I should have at least 
with my arm, ah…

but on the water drifted an anchor,
in the waves drifted a gauge



I grabbed (at) something white:
the ice piled up a rabbit’s head

it came to me I had gone down to turn away
the world from the underworld

the order

the severe winter sun, a severe case of



it’s raining upwards, it’s snowing in the country
we wish each other a happy old year



we trudged through the fields
we flew as we went, carts to our knuckles,
killing all curtains in
passing. clouds as floes

deep beneath us floated gauges



not boards but spell-bound children, punished
for allowing one of their circle to drown.
they had laughed it. they had done it.

the spell broke (the ice)   ?

laatst viel ik viel

laatst     viel    ik   viel
(ik)    zakte  door een slechte plank   
(ik)    kwam  goed   maar   slecht   neer
terecht   maar   goed
brak  niets  maar
brak      niets

maar alle kinderen verloren
stroomden opeens onderlangs,
ik werd een zak kromme, magere kinderen
ik had niet vallen moeten



alle kinderen verloren
stroomden opeens onderlangs
en ik werd een zak kromme, bevende jongetjes
ik had niet vallen moeten

we trokken door de velden
er verdronk best een soms maar
vaker niet, wij niet



we trokken door de weiden
er verdronk er best een, soms
maar vaker niet, wij niet

een wolk als een schol
in de harde wind
boven de rivier
ik ga vannacht
wolken als schollen
in de harde wind
boven de rivier
de aanval vlucht

in het water dreef een meter
op de golven dobberde een anker



ijsschollen in de harde wind
op de rivier. de harde wind op de rivier
ik ga vannacht
tegen de maan
kruien de wolken

laatst     viel    ik   viel
(ik)    zakte  door een slechte plank   
(ik)    kwam  goed   maar   slecht   neer
terecht   maar   goed
brak  niets  maar

brak      niets



bewaar school de onder rug
vroeger was ik een krom jongetje
met de rug tegen de muur



laatst     viel    ik   viel
(ik)    zakte  door een slechte plank   
(ik)    kwam  goed   maar   slecht   neer
terecht   maar   goed
brak  niets  maar

we trokken door de velden
er verdronk best een soms maar
vaker niet, wij niet

slacht het gordijn



het hoofd werd zwaar
ik kon na de val meteen lopen
brak     niets



ik kon na de val niet meer lopen
brak      niets



het kon na de val meteen lopen

de pasgevallen sneeuw kon meteen lopen
de pasgeschoten leeuw kon meteen lopen
de kraamvrouw, caféleeuwinnetje, liet alles lopen



het hoofd wordt zo zwaar
het hoofd wordt zo zwaar
het brein schuimt bruin
het varken haalt verhaal,



ik had mijn hoofd toch minstens
met mijn arm, ach...

maar in het water dobberde een anker,
op de golven dobberde een meter



ik greep (naar) iets wits:
het ijs kruide een konijnekop

in mij kwam (op) dat ik afgedaald was om de wereld
de onderwereld af te wentelen

de opdracht

de ernstige winterzon, een ernstig geval van



het regent naar boven, het sneeuwt in het platte
we wensen elkander oudjaar



we sjouwden door de velden
we vlogen lopend, karren in onze knuisten,
slachtten in het voorbijgaan
gordijnen. wolken als schollen

diep beneden ons dreven meters



geen planken maar betoverde kinderen, gestraft
omdat ze uit hun kring een hadden laten verdrinken.
ze hadden het gelachen. ze hadden het gedaan.

de betovering brak (het ijs)   ?
Close

recently fell (I) fell

recently     fell    (I)   fell
a worn board gave way
(I)     landed     well    but  wrongly
rightly so,   but   well
nothing  broken  yet
broke      nothing

then all lost children
suddenly flowed underneath,
I became a sack of stooped, skinny children
I should not have fallen



all lost children
suddenly flowed underneath
and I became a sack of stooped, shivering boys
I should not have fallen

we passed through the fields
sometimes one did drown yet
more often not, not us



we passed through the meadows
where one did drown, sometimes
yet more often not, not us

a cloud as a floe
in the hard wind
above the river
I go tonight
clouds as floes
in the hard wind
above the river
attack in flight

on the water floated a gauge
in the waves drifted an anchor



ice floes in the hard wind
on the river. the hard wind on the river
I go tonight
the clouds pile up
against the moon


recently     fell    (I)   fell
a worn board gave way
(I)     landed       well    but    wrongly
rightly so,   but   well
nothing  broken  yet

broke      nothing



play school the lower back  
I used to be a stooped boy
with my back against the wall



recently     fell    (I)   fell
a worn board gave way
(I)     landed       well    but    wrongly
rightly so,   but   well
nothing  broken  yet

we passed through the fields
sometimes one did drown, yet
more often not, not us

kill the curtain



head became heavy
after the fall I could get up right away
broke      nothing
_

afer the fall I could not get up
broke      nothing



it could get up right away after the fall

the just fallen snow could get up right away
the just shot lion could get up right away
the woman in childbirth, café lioness, up and away



head becomes so heavy
head becomes so heavy
brain foaming brown
pig seeks redress,



my head, I should have at least 
with my arm, ah…

but on the water drifted an anchor,
in the waves drifted a gauge



I grabbed (at) something white:
the ice piled up a rabbit’s head

it came to me I had gone down to turn away
the world from the underworld

the order

the severe winter sun, a severe case of



it’s raining upwards, it’s snowing in the country
we wish each other a happy old year



we trudged through the fields
we flew as we went, carts to our knuckles,
killing all curtains in
passing. clouds as floes

deep beneath us floated gauges



not boards but spell-bound children, punished
for allowing one of their circle to drown.
they had laughed it. they had done it.

the spell broke (the ice)   ?

recently fell (I) fell

recently     fell    (I)   fell
a worn board gave way
(I)     landed     well    but  wrongly
rightly so,   but   well
nothing  broken  yet
broke      nothing

then all lost children
suddenly flowed underneath,
I became a sack of stooped, skinny children
I should not have fallen



all lost children
suddenly flowed underneath
and I became a sack of stooped, shivering boys
I should not have fallen

we passed through the fields
sometimes one did drown yet
more often not, not us



we passed through the meadows
where one did drown, sometimes
yet more often not, not us

a cloud as a floe
in the hard wind
above the river
I go tonight
clouds as floes
in the hard wind
above the river
attack in flight

on the water floated a gauge
in the waves drifted an anchor



ice floes in the hard wind
on the river. the hard wind on the river
I go tonight
the clouds pile up
against the moon


recently     fell    (I)   fell
a worn board gave way
(I)     landed       well    but    wrongly
rightly so,   but   well
nothing  broken  yet

broke      nothing



play school the lower back  
I used to be a stooped boy
with my back against the wall



recently     fell    (I)   fell
a worn board gave way
(I)     landed       well    but    wrongly
rightly so,   but   well
nothing  broken  yet

we passed through the fields
sometimes one did drown, yet
more often not, not us

kill the curtain



head became heavy
after the fall I could get up right away
broke      nothing
_

afer the fall I could not get up
broke      nothing



it could get up right away after the fall

the just fallen snow could get up right away
the just shot lion could get up right away
the woman in childbirth, café lioness, up and away



head becomes so heavy
head becomes so heavy
brain foaming brown
pig seeks redress,



my head, I should have at least 
with my arm, ah…

but on the water drifted an anchor,
in the waves drifted a gauge



I grabbed (at) something white:
the ice piled up a rabbit’s head

it came to me I had gone down to turn away
the world from the underworld

the order

the severe winter sun, a severe case of



it’s raining upwards, it’s snowing in the country
we wish each other a happy old year



we trudged through the fields
we flew as we went, carts to our knuckles,
killing all curtains in
passing. clouds as floes

deep beneath us floated gauges



not boards but spell-bound children, punished
for allowing one of their circle to drown.
they had laughed it. they had done it.

the spell broke (the ice)   ?
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
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