Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Esther Kinsky

DISTURBED LANDS

Disturbed lands so pointed and so sorrowful
a name marked by human violation
thrust into frail wildness
waste ground following devastation piles
of rubble dumped in a derelict
crumbling recess at the former entrance
surrounded by sorrel
nearby Good-King-Henry parsnip and pigweed
poor people's food for poor times and conducive to wild
dreams thriving on
heaps of debris this one too
demanding its own its heap for burying
this and that and out on top
the honest birthwort.

VERSTOORD TERREIN

Verstoord terrein zo treffend en bedroefd
benoemd te menselijk gevormd gestoten
in tere wildheid
woestenij na vernieling hopen
van puin zo in de vervallen
schervenhoek bij de voormalige ingang
omringd door zuring
afzijdig ook brave hendrik eppe en melde
armenspijs in arme tijden en in bonte
dromen bevorderlijk gedijde
op afbraak ook deze
eist wat hem toebehoort de ruimte die dit
en dat begraaft en daarop
de oprechte pijpbloem.

Gestörtes gelände so treffend und betrübt
benannt menschlich überprägt gestoßen
in schmächtige wildheit
ödland nach zerstörung halden
aus schutt so in verfallendem
scherbenwinkel an einstigem eingang
umstanden von ampfern
abseits auch guter heinrich merk und melde
armenspeis in armer zeit und bunten
träumen förderlich gediehen
auf abraum auch dieser
fordert das seine den raum der dieses
und jenes begräbt und darauf
die aufrechte osterluzei.
Close

DISTURBED LANDS

Disturbed lands so pointed and so sorrowful
a name marked by human violation
thrust into frail wildness
waste ground following devastation piles
of rubble dumped in a derelict
crumbling recess at the former entrance
surrounded by sorrel
nearby Good-King-Henry parsnip and pigweed
poor people's food for poor times and conducive to wild
dreams thriving on
heaps of debris this one too
demanding its own its heap for burying
this and that and out on top
the honest birthwort.

DISTURBED LANDS

Disturbed lands so pointed and so sorrowful
a name marked by human violation
thrust into frail wildness
waste ground following devastation piles
of rubble dumped in a derelict
crumbling recess at the former entrance
surrounded by sorrel
nearby Good-King-Henry parsnip and pigweed
poor people's food for poor times and conducive to wild
dreams thriving on
heaps of debris this one too
demanding its own its heap for burying
this and that and out on top
the honest birthwort.
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