Poem
Peter Verhelst
in memory of joop admiraal, sonic boom (ultima vez), 2003
Two bodies stand face to face,speaking into each other’s mouths for hours on end
until the words are dripping from their chins: despair, sleep, boredom,
willpower, love, dreams, desire, tenderness, submission.
Which of the two first says the word razor
while the other answers, head, eyebrows, lip, cheeks,
chest, chin, armpits, belly, pubes,
to be shaved? Ivory. Alabaster.
We leave the theatre, carrying a body each,
get in the car, drive home.
In the bedroom we lay them mouth to mouth
as if they’re standing horizontally in bed.
From our two sides we press against their backs,
arms around waists, chins on shoulders, open-eyed,
climbing over those bodies,
kissing ourselves together in our sleep.
© Translation: 2018, David Colmer
im: joop admiraal, sonic boom (ultima vez), 2003
im: joop admiraal, sonic boom (ultima vez), 2003
Twee lichamen staan hoofd tegen hoofd.Urenlang spreken ze in elkaars mond
tot de woorden van hun kin druipen: wanhoop, slaap, verveling,
wil, liefde, dromen, verlangen, tederheid, onderwerping.
Wie van beiden spreekt als eerste het woord mes uit
terwijl de ander antwoordt: hoofd, wenkbrauwen, bovenlip, wangen,
kin, borst, oksels, buik, geslacht,
om gladgeschoren te worden? Ivoor. Albast.
We gaan de schouwburg uit, elk met een lichaam op de rug,
stappen in de auto, rijden naar huis.
In de slaapkamer leggen we ze mond aan mond
alsof ze horizontaal in bed staan.
We drukken ons elk op onze kant tegen een rug aan,
arm om middel, kin op schouder, met open ogen,
klimmen over die lichamen,
kussen ons slapend in elkaar vast.
© 2018, Peter Verhelst
From: Wat ons had kunnen zijn
Publisher: Stichting CPNB,
From: Wat ons had kunnen zijn
Publisher: Stichting CPNB,
Poems
Poems of Peter Verhelst
Close
in memory of joop admiraal, sonic boom (ultima vez), 2003
Two bodies stand face to face,speaking into each other’s mouths for hours on end
until the words are dripping from their chins: despair, sleep, boredom,
willpower, love, dreams, desire, tenderness, submission.
Which of the two first says the word razor
while the other answers, head, eyebrows, lip, cheeks,
chest, chin, armpits, belly, pubes,
to be shaved? Ivory. Alabaster.
We leave the theatre, carrying a body each,
get in the car, drive home.
In the bedroom we lay them mouth to mouth
as if they’re standing horizontally in bed.
From our two sides we press against their backs,
arms around waists, chins on shoulders, open-eyed,
climbing over those bodies,
kissing ourselves together in our sleep.
© 2018, David Colmer
From: Wat ons had kunnen zijn
From: Wat ons had kunnen zijn
in memory of joop admiraal, sonic boom (ultima vez), 2003
Two bodies stand face to face,speaking into each other’s mouths for hours on end
until the words are dripping from their chins: despair, sleep, boredom,
willpower, love, dreams, desire, tenderness, submission.
Which of the two first says the word razor
while the other answers, head, eyebrows, lip, cheeks,
chest, chin, armpits, belly, pubes,
to be shaved? Ivory. Alabaster.
We leave the theatre, carrying a body each,
get in the car, drive home.
In the bedroom we lay them mouth to mouth
as if they’re standing horizontally in bed.
From our two sides we press against their backs,
arms around waists, chins on shoulders, open-eyed,
climbing over those bodies,
kissing ourselves together in our sleep.
© 2018, David Colmer
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