Poem
Jan Baeke
THE DOGS (8)
Words like coffee, sun and cardon’t wear as easily in use
as beauty, restlessness and sleep.
Under the influence of coffee and sleep
in the presence of thoughts washed ashore from the night
the city attains the necessary depth.
Just by looking through the window
without giving heed to the sun, to the gleam
that marks the car owner’s face
I can see the gravity and tragedy
of every trip to the newsagent’s, to the baker’s
of the shaking of hands
a farewell that sends one person into an office block
and the other walking off to one side
which makes this morning worse
worse as in further away from what I’ve written
further as in finished speaking
and in need of the first glass of wine.
© Translation: 2014, Willem Groenewegen
DE HONDEN (8)
DE HONDEN (8)
Woorden als koffie, zon en autoslijten minder door gebruik
dan schoonheid, onrust en slaap.
Onder invloed van koffie en slaap
in het bijzijn van uit de nacht meegespoelde gedachten
krijgt de stad de vereiste diepte.
Alleen al uit het raam
zonder acht te slaan op de zon, op het glunderen
dat het gezicht van de autobezitter tekent
zie ik de ernst en de tragedie
van iedere gang naar de kiosk, naar de bakker
van het schudden van handen
een afscheid dat de één een kantoorgebouw instuurt
en de ander een kant uit doet lopen
die deze ochtend erger maakt
erger zoals verder weg van wat ik heb geschreven
verder zoals klaar met spreken
en toe aan het eerste glas wijn.
© 2014, Jan Baeke
Poems
Poems of Jan Baeke
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THE DOGS (8)
Words like coffee, sun and cardon’t wear as easily in use
as beauty, restlessness and sleep.
Under the influence of coffee and sleep
in the presence of thoughts washed ashore from the night
the city attains the necessary depth.
Just by looking through the window
without giving heed to the sun, to the gleam
that marks the car owner’s face
I can see the gravity and tragedy
of every trip to the newsagent’s, to the baker’s
of the shaking of hands
a farewell that sends one person into an office block
and the other walking off to one side
which makes this morning worse
worse as in further away from what I’ve written
further as in finished speaking
and in need of the first glass of wine.
© 2014, Willem Groenewegen
THE DOGS (8)
Words like coffee, sun and cardon’t wear as easily in use
as beauty, restlessness and sleep.
Under the influence of coffee and sleep
in the presence of thoughts washed ashore from the night
the city attains the necessary depth.
Just by looking through the window
without giving heed to the sun, to the gleam
that marks the car owner’s face
I can see the gravity and tragedy
of every trip to the newsagent’s, to the baker’s
of the shaking of hands
a farewell that sends one person into an office block
and the other walking off to one side
which makes this morning worse
worse as in further away from what I’ve written
further as in finished speaking
and in need of the first glass of wine.
© 2014, Willem Groenewegen
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