Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Adrian Matejka

“Gymnopédies No. 2”

“Gymnopédies No. 2”

“Gymnopédies No. 2”

In NYC, we stalked fishes
             in filets of sounds: delivery
             engines & ashy doors

clapping shut, vendors
knuckling fin & silhouette-

             shaped words into salty
expectations. My daughter

& I walked down a couple
             of  slim-bricked blocks
             that smelled like snapper

& afro sheen with no afros
in sight. On snaggletoothed

streets, we double-took the wet
alleys where things jumped

off the hook like smart seafood
             before lunch. We parted

the perfect & abundantly wintered

streets. My daughter said, I know
these parts
like a tired pianist
             resting on her bench
Close

“Gymnopédies No. 2”

In NYC, we stalked fishes
             in filets of sounds: delivery
             engines & ashy doors

clapping shut, vendors
knuckling fin & silhouette-

             shaped words into salty
expectations. My daughter

& I walked down a couple
             of  slim-bricked blocks
             that smelled like snapper

& afro sheen with no afros
in sight. On snaggletoothed

streets, we double-took the wet
alleys where things jumped

off the hook like smart seafood
             before lunch. We parted

the perfect & abundantly wintered

streets. My daughter said, I know
these parts
like a tired pianist
             resting on her bench

“Gymnopédies No. 2”

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