Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Tonnus Oosterhoff

I am the dwarf of average height.

I am the dwarf of average height.
My loom becomes larger when I dream. I’m dreaming:
‘If I don’t go out weaving, there’ll be crow to eat.’
The world is in the weft,
I latch on to the spool
and the tenterground.
But aren’t I becoming smaller?

The hand on the willow on the glass the
hand holds the hand out
foot props the wind struts
into the orphanage
keep a hand on the purse strings
the drop foot winces

Beginning
With mirror and capstan, I sit half under,
half above my eyes,
keeping the corner of the purple
couch dark. Nine feet away from the window, in the
play of light and shadow
the shadow.

How large the window is. To get it on paper I have to shove
the paper backward and I still won’t make it.

The willow on the other side of the bridge
appears on the pane like silver,
an elbow and a hand high.

There’s a breeze and a cloud follows. I slide across the flooring
up against the window sill but the willow sees
me coming, it makes itself
small on the glass, a small thumb.

As I picture it the face
or what passes for it, covers the tree,
not the window. You are nose bridge,
you are a structure peering over the water.

You were far away at yours.
The car rolls out of the garage.
Who doesn’t know the moon illusion?

hand   holds   the   hand up   foot   props   the wind   struts
house  hold  well   come   hold   the   hand   up
the drop foot

The overture of light and shadow and light.
Here on the couch upshot and game token.

It’s blowing the ‘and’s of form-deprived clouds
across the floor to the window sill
but the willow, which gets me, makes itself
small on the pane. Tom Thumb keeps itself fist-still.

As I picture you, your face or the tree does not
cover the window. You are a bridge peering over the water.
You were far away anyhow

Middle.
I sit half under half above my eyes, my back and arse
keeping the driver’s seat warm.

Stand still.
Pliers-wise.
Am I dreaming or will I reach it?

I figure the postcard:
the red orphanage where the
public orphanage stood where
language beings waited

the red orphanage where the
petty household stands where
the playing cards wait

the red orphanage where the
house with speech recognition

Get this, it has to come out of
this if it is ever to become larger.

The token suddenly wants to know
whether it itself has won.

I express the both of you in an angle: minute and half a minute
beyond the horizon impede my comings and goings.
My ways are governed by pointed hat and pointy hat.

My scaley creature gauges the birch on the glass
and the willow on the pane and the edge of the wood, the oncomer.
The wind grinds the clouds

Ending my heart.
Now we’re staying here.
I stood still when I took that in.

I stood still and still I took that in.
True to size.
I stood still.

Cat out of the bag, the cradle, look at a king

Hand holds the hand up,
foot struts the wind props
House hold welcome
hold the hand on the purse strings
prop the drop foot

Beginning

Ik ben de dwerg van gemiddelde lengte.

Ik ben de dwerg van gemiddelde lengte.
Mijn weefgetouw wordt als ik droom groter. Ik droom:
‘Als ik niet uit weven ga, dan zwaait er wat!’
De wereld is in het getouw, 
ik zie de bodem doorgrond
en het naweven.
Maar word ik niet kleiner?

De hand op de wilg op het glas de
hand houdt de hand op
voet steunt de wind steunt
het weeshuis binnen
houdt de hand op de knip
steunt de sleepvoet

Begin 
Ik zit, half onder, half boven mijn ogen
met spiegel en kaapstander de hoek van de purperen sofa
donker te houden. Drie meter verder het raam, in het
spel van licht en schaduw
de schaduw.         

Wat is het raam groot. Om het op papier te krijgen moet ik
met het papier achteruit en dan haal ik het nog niet.

De wilg aan de overkant van de brug
staat op de ruit als zilver,
een elleboog en een hand hoog.

Het waait en een wolk volgt. Ik glijd over het vloerzeil
de vensterbank tegen maar de wilg ziet
me aankomen, maakt zich
klein op het glas, een klein duimpje.

Als ik me voorstel bedekt het gezicht
of wat daar voor doorgaat de boom,
niet het raam. Je bent neus brug,
je bent bouwkunst turend over het water. 
    
Je was toch ver weg bij jou.
De wagen rolt de garage uit.
Wie de maanillusie niet kent

hand   houdt   de   hand   op   voet   steunt   de   wind   steunt 
wees    huis    wees    wel   kom   houdt   de   hand   op  
de sleepvoet

Het spelbegin van licht en schaduw en licht.
Hier op de sofa uitkomst en speelpenning.

Het waait ‘en’-s van de vormarme wolken
over de vloer naar de vensterbank
maar de wilg, die me inziet, maakt zich
klein op de ruit. Klein Duimpje houdt zich vuiststil.

Als ik me voor je stel bedekt je gezicht of de boom
niet het raam. Je bent brug turend over het water.
Je was toch ver weg

Middelpunt.
Ik zit half onder half boven mijn ogen met rug en reet
de bestuurdersstoel warm te houden.

Blijf eens staan.
Nijp tangens.
Droom ik of kom ik er?

Ik stel me de ansichtkaart voor:
het rode weeshuis waarin het
burgerweeshuis stond waarin
taalwezen wachtten

het rode weeshuis waarin het
burgerweeshuis staat waarin
de speelkaarten wachten

het rode weeshuis waarin het
huis met de spraakherkenning

Dit weten, hier moet het uit
komen als het ooit groot wordt.

Opeens wil de speelpenning weten
of hij zelf gewonnen heeft.

Ik druk jullie uit in een hoek: minuut en halve minuut
achter de einder beperken mijn doen en mijn laten.
Mijn gangen worden bepaald door puntmuts en puntmutsje.

Mijn schaaldier schat de berk op het glas
en de wilg op de ruit en de bosrand, de tegenligger.
De wind maalt de wolken

Einde mijn hart.
Nu blijven we hier.
Ik stond stil toen ik daarin stond.

Ik stond stil en daarin stond ik stil.
Ware grootte.
Ik stond stil.

Ik ben de kat wijs, de slang wijs, de koning te

Hand houdt de hand op,
voet steunt de wind steunt.
Wees huis wees welkom
houdt de hand op de knip
steunt de sleepvoet

Begin
Close

I am the dwarf of average height.

I am the dwarf of average height.
My loom becomes larger when I dream. I’m dreaming:
‘If I don’t go out weaving, there’ll be crow to eat.’
The world is in the weft,
I latch on to the spool
and the tenterground.
But aren’t I becoming smaller?

The hand on the willow on the glass the
hand holds the hand out
foot props the wind struts
into the orphanage
keep a hand on the purse strings
the drop foot winces

Beginning
With mirror and capstan, I sit half under,
half above my eyes,
keeping the corner of the purple
couch dark. Nine feet away from the window, in the
play of light and shadow
the shadow.

How large the window is. To get it on paper I have to shove
the paper backward and I still won’t make it.

The willow on the other side of the bridge
appears on the pane like silver,
an elbow and a hand high.

There’s a breeze and a cloud follows. I slide across the flooring
up against the window sill but the willow sees
me coming, it makes itself
small on the glass, a small thumb.

As I picture it the face
or what passes for it, covers the tree,
not the window. You are nose bridge,
you are a structure peering over the water.

You were far away at yours.
The car rolls out of the garage.
Who doesn’t know the moon illusion?

hand   holds   the   hand up   foot   props   the wind   struts
house  hold  well   come   hold   the   hand   up
the drop foot

The overture of light and shadow and light.
Here on the couch upshot and game token.

It’s blowing the ‘and’s of form-deprived clouds
across the floor to the window sill
but the willow, which gets me, makes itself
small on the pane. Tom Thumb keeps itself fist-still.

As I picture you, your face or the tree does not
cover the window. You are a bridge peering over the water.
You were far away anyhow

Middle.
I sit half under half above my eyes, my back and arse
keeping the driver’s seat warm.

Stand still.
Pliers-wise.
Am I dreaming or will I reach it?

I figure the postcard:
the red orphanage where the
public orphanage stood where
language beings waited

the red orphanage where the
petty household stands where
the playing cards wait

the red orphanage where the
house with speech recognition

Get this, it has to come out of
this if it is ever to become larger.

The token suddenly wants to know
whether it itself has won.

I express the both of you in an angle: minute and half a minute
beyond the horizon impede my comings and goings.
My ways are governed by pointed hat and pointy hat.

My scaley creature gauges the birch on the glass
and the willow on the pane and the edge of the wood, the oncomer.
The wind grinds the clouds

Ending my heart.
Now we’re staying here.
I stood still when I took that in.

I stood still and still I took that in.
True to size.
I stood still.

Cat out of the bag, the cradle, look at a king

Hand holds the hand up,
foot struts the wind props
House hold welcome
hold the hand on the purse strings
prop the drop foot

Beginning

I am the dwarf of average height.

I am the dwarf of average height.
My loom becomes larger when I dream. I’m dreaming:
‘If I don’t go out weaving, there’ll be crow to eat.’
The world is in the weft,
I latch on to the spool
and the tenterground.
But aren’t I becoming smaller?

The hand on the willow on the glass the
hand holds the hand out
foot props the wind struts
into the orphanage
keep a hand on the purse strings
the drop foot winces

Beginning
With mirror and capstan, I sit half under,
half above my eyes,
keeping the corner of the purple
couch dark. Nine feet away from the window, in the
play of light and shadow
the shadow.

How large the window is. To get it on paper I have to shove
the paper backward and I still won’t make it.

The willow on the other side of the bridge
appears on the pane like silver,
an elbow and a hand high.

There’s a breeze and a cloud follows. I slide across the flooring
up against the window sill but the willow sees
me coming, it makes itself
small on the glass, a small thumb.

As I picture it the face
or what passes for it, covers the tree,
not the window. You are nose bridge,
you are a structure peering over the water.

You were far away at yours.
The car rolls out of the garage.
Who doesn’t know the moon illusion?

hand   holds   the   hand up   foot   props   the wind   struts
house  hold  well   come   hold   the   hand   up
the drop foot

The overture of light and shadow and light.
Here on the couch upshot and game token.

It’s blowing the ‘and’s of form-deprived clouds
across the floor to the window sill
but the willow, which gets me, makes itself
small on the pane. Tom Thumb keeps itself fist-still.

As I picture you, your face or the tree does not
cover the window. You are a bridge peering over the water.
You were far away anyhow

Middle.
I sit half under half above my eyes, my back and arse
keeping the driver’s seat warm.

Stand still.
Pliers-wise.
Am I dreaming or will I reach it?

I figure the postcard:
the red orphanage where the
public orphanage stood where
language beings waited

the red orphanage where the
petty household stands where
the playing cards wait

the red orphanage where the
house with speech recognition

Get this, it has to come out of
this if it is ever to become larger.

The token suddenly wants to know
whether it itself has won.

I express the both of you in an angle: minute and half a minute
beyond the horizon impede my comings and goings.
My ways are governed by pointed hat and pointy hat.

My scaley creature gauges the birch on the glass
and the willow on the pane and the edge of the wood, the oncomer.
The wind grinds the clouds

Ending my heart.
Now we’re staying here.
I stood still when I took that in.

I stood still and still I took that in.
True to size.
I stood still.

Cat out of the bag, the cradle, look at a king

Hand holds the hand up,
foot struts the wind props
House hold welcome
hold the hand on the purse strings
prop the drop foot

Beginning
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
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