Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Ruth Lasters

CARP

The fact that no one ever saw the complete formation of an ice sheet,
really every second of how a pond congeals into

walkability. Of course there is no complete witness to this, not now
and not in the past. That sure point of contact with

people from earlier times suddenly brings them close, as if they are
looking at me through the murky surface of ice. Especially in the middle

near the frozen carp in the hole like a gap in time, through which they
seem to signal the consolation that now of all times there

are about as many of them missing, on the other side as we
have brain cells, as if in the head

of all who have been here
there is the wildest scintillation.

KARPER

KARPER

Dat niemand ooit de hele vorming van een ijsvlakte zag,
echt elke tel van hoe een vijver tot betreedbaarheid

stolt. Allicht is daar geen enkele totaalgetuige van, nu en
vroeger niet. Dat zekere raakpunt met

mensen uit eerdere tijden maakt hen plots nabij, alsof ze door
de troebele ijsspiegel naar mij kijken. Vooral in het midden

bij de vastgevroren karper in het wak als een tijdgat, waardoor zij
wel de troost lijken te seinen dat zij uitgerekend nu

met ongeveer evenveel ontbreken, aan de andere zijde zijn als wij
zenuwcellen hebben, als zit er in ons hoofd

van elk van wie hier is geweest
de felste sprankel.
Close

CARP

The fact that no one ever saw the complete formation of an ice sheet,
really every second of how a pond congeals into

walkability. Of course there is no complete witness to this, not now
and not in the past. That sure point of contact with

people from earlier times suddenly brings them close, as if they are
looking at me through the murky surface of ice. Especially in the middle

near the frozen carp in the hole like a gap in time, through which they
seem to signal the consolation that now of all times there

are about as many of them missing, on the other side as we
have brain cells, as if in the head

of all who have been here
there is the wildest scintillation.

CARP

The fact that no one ever saw the complete formation of an ice sheet,
really every second of how a pond congeals into

walkability. Of course there is no complete witness to this, not now
and not in the past. That sure point of contact with

people from earlier times suddenly brings them close, as if they are
looking at me through the murky surface of ice. Especially in the middle

near the frozen carp in the hole like a gap in time, through which they
seem to signal the consolation that now of all times there

are about as many of them missing, on the other side as we
have brain cells, as if in the head

of all who have been here
there is the wildest scintillation.
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