Poem
Hans Verhagen
PRAYING MANTISES ON THE WIND
Against the current but music backing us full blastwe fall like praying mantises on the wind
to the long since past
where the resurrection begins
You can’t be in on every line at once
so followers who resemble you
are sent in all directions;
now everyone takes you for your own follower
The leak we trace by chance
just let it lie leaking
the origin is what we’re seeking
or a new cycle to conceive
Everything goes on with endless dawdling, yammering, nagging,
the Lords of the free world are burdened with
the terror of their own tremendous greed
The bosses have enslaved themselves
Cute candied babies are fatted
and then heavily armed
deployed for a violent yet noble universal cause
When you’re thrust into the role of Leader
hell-bent you dive into the largest bottle bank in town
you ruin your chances properly
If you’re quick you’ll do well
The west waltzes ’cause it cannot dance
because you learn to dance in hell
Those who contemplate death their entire lives
missed out on something about their birth
Catch a dose of candy floss, for all it’s worth
But we can’t survive on peace alone
We always learned the wrong things
We never knew what we did
We lived in the grip of Christians
© Translation: 2006, Willem Groenewegen
BIDSPRINKHANEN OP DE WIND
BIDSPRINKHANEN OP DE WIND
Met de stroming tegen maar muziek hard in de rugvallen we als bidsprinkhanen op de wind
naar het lang voorbije terug
waar de wederopstanding begint
Op alle lijnen tegelijk kun je niet van de partij zijn
dus worden volgelingen in het rond gezonden
die voor jou doorgaan;
nu ziet iedereen je ook nog voor je eigen volgeling aan
Het lek dat we per ongeluk traceren
lekker laten liggen lekken
om de plaats van oorsprong te ontdekken
of een nieuwe cirkelgang te concipiëren
Dit gebeurt met veel gezever en getreuzel en gezeur,
de heren van de vrije wereld gaan gebukt
onder de terreur van eigen hebzucht
De bazen hebben zich geknecht
Snoezig geglaceerde baby’s worden vetgemest
en vervolgens zwaar bewapend
voor een nobel en misdadig universeel streven ingezet
Wil men jou tot Leider bombarderen
duik je als het weerlicht in de grootste glasbak van de stad
zo verkwansel je je kansen
Doe het snel
Het Westen walst omdat het niet kan dansen
want dansen leer je in de hel
Wie z’n hele leven stil staat bij zijn dood
heeft van zijn geboorte iets niet helemaal begrepen
We hopen dat je er een suikerspin van oploopt
Maar van enkel vrede kunnen we niet eten
We leerden altijd het verkeerde
We wisten zelf niet wat we deden
We leefden in de greep van de gereformeerden
From: Draak
Publisher: Nijgh en van Ditmar, Amsterdam
Publisher: Nijgh en van Ditmar, Amsterdam
Poems
Poems of Hans Verhagen
Close
PRAYING MANTISES ON THE WIND
Against the current but music backing us full blastwe fall like praying mantises on the wind
to the long since past
where the resurrection begins
You can’t be in on every line at once
so followers who resemble you
are sent in all directions;
now everyone takes you for your own follower
The leak we trace by chance
just let it lie leaking
the origin is what we’re seeking
or a new cycle to conceive
Everything goes on with endless dawdling, yammering, nagging,
the Lords of the free world are burdened with
the terror of their own tremendous greed
The bosses have enslaved themselves
Cute candied babies are fatted
and then heavily armed
deployed for a violent yet noble universal cause
When you’re thrust into the role of Leader
hell-bent you dive into the largest bottle bank in town
you ruin your chances properly
If you’re quick you’ll do well
The west waltzes ’cause it cannot dance
because you learn to dance in hell
Those who contemplate death their entire lives
missed out on something about their birth
Catch a dose of candy floss, for all it’s worth
But we can’t survive on peace alone
We always learned the wrong things
We never knew what we did
We lived in the grip of Christians
© 2006, Willem Groenewegen
From: Draak
From: Draak
PRAYING MANTISES ON THE WIND
Against the current but music backing us full blastwe fall like praying mantises on the wind
to the long since past
where the resurrection begins
You can’t be in on every line at once
so followers who resemble you
are sent in all directions;
now everyone takes you for your own follower
The leak we trace by chance
just let it lie leaking
the origin is what we’re seeking
or a new cycle to conceive
Everything goes on with endless dawdling, yammering, nagging,
the Lords of the free world are burdened with
the terror of their own tremendous greed
The bosses have enslaved themselves
Cute candied babies are fatted
and then heavily armed
deployed for a violent yet noble universal cause
When you’re thrust into the role of Leader
hell-bent you dive into the largest bottle bank in town
you ruin your chances properly
If you’re quick you’ll do well
The west waltzes ’cause it cannot dance
because you learn to dance in hell
Those who contemplate death their entire lives
missed out on something about their birth
Catch a dose of candy floss, for all it’s worth
But we can’t survive on peace alone
We always learned the wrong things
We never knew what we did
We lived in the grip of Christians
© 2006, Willem Groenewegen
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