Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Adrian Matejka

“Gymnopédies No. 3”

“Gymnopédies No. 3”

“Gymnopédies No. 3”

This sunlight on snow.

This decrescendo
of covered stumps & brush –
stop for it.

Stop before the sled end-
             over-ends down
             the chin of the hill –

the way it always will
at the rock ⅔ of the way down.

Stop & shiver in it: the ring
             of snow inside gloves,
             the cusp of red forehead

like a sun just waiting to top
the hill. Every ill-built

             snowball waiting to be thrown,
             every bell-shaped angel

stamped over the brown leaves.
When my daughter ranges
             in winter, she works

every dazzling angle –
             the crestfallen pinecones,

             the grizzled beards
of bushes in the morning,

a furnace’s windup huffing
             in this throat-
             clearing of snow.
Close

“Gymnopédies No. 3”

This sunlight on snow.

This decrescendo
of covered stumps & brush –
stop for it.

Stop before the sled end-
             over-ends down
             the chin of the hill –

the way it always will
at the rock ⅔ of the way down.

Stop & shiver in it: the ring
             of snow inside gloves,
             the cusp of red forehead

like a sun just waiting to top
the hill. Every ill-built

             snowball waiting to be thrown,
             every bell-shaped angel

stamped over the brown leaves.
When my daughter ranges
             in winter, she works

every dazzling angle –
             the crestfallen pinecones,

             the grizzled beards
of bushes in the morning,

a furnace’s windup huffing
             in this throat-
             clearing of snow.

“Gymnopédies No. 3”

Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
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Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
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Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
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