Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Ruth Lasters

LAND

Can you save ‘together’? Can you by doing much intensely as a couple
protect the other from the one-man cage between underground

floors? Say twice ‘of course’ and lay your head
on my buttock, casually since moments like this of wild spleen

return more often than not, down to the pore deposits
exactly the same. Only the gleaning of ‘together’ into a dam against

awful singularity may perhaps just once, when backs are languid and
are soft like land full of something further than

hope, full of beauty broken out of the most difficult thing like – you are mine –
tulip bulbs eaten in

wartime.

LAND

LAND

Of je ‘samen’ sparen kan. Of je door veel intens met twee te doen
de ander kan behoeden voor de eenmansliftkooi tussen ondergrondse

etages ooit. Zeg tweemaal ‘uiteraard’ en leg je hoofd dan op
mijn bil, achteloos want ogenblikken zoals dit van wilde milt

komen vaker terug dan niet, tot op de porieaanslagen
precies dezelfde. Alleen het sprokkelen van ‘samen’ tot een dam tegen

eng enkelvoud kan misschien maar één keer, als ruggen loom en
mul liggen als land vol iets al verder dan

de hoop, vol mooiheid uit het moeilijkste gebroken als – jij bent mijn –
tulpenbollen gegeten tijdens

oorlog.
Close

LAND

Can you save ‘together’? Can you by doing much intensely as a couple
protect the other from the one-man cage between underground

floors? Say twice ‘of course’ and lay your head
on my buttock, casually since moments like this of wild spleen

return more often than not, down to the pore deposits
exactly the same. Only the gleaning of ‘together’ into a dam against

awful singularity may perhaps just once, when backs are languid and
are soft like land full of something further than

hope, full of beauty broken out of the most difficult thing like – you are mine –
tulip bulbs eaten in

wartime.

LAND

Can you save ‘together’? Can you by doing much intensely as a couple
protect the other from the one-man cage between underground

floors? Say twice ‘of course’ and lay your head
on my buttock, casually since moments like this of wild spleen

return more often than not, down to the pore deposits
exactly the same. Only the gleaning of ‘together’ into a dam against

awful singularity may perhaps just once, when backs are languid and
are soft like land full of something further than

hope, full of beauty broken out of the most difficult thing like – you are mine –
tulip bulbs eaten in

wartime.
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