Poem
Peter Verhelst
STRATEGY 3 – DEHUMANISE – INVEST IN FEAR AS CAPITAL
Under the yellow clouds tagging the smokestacksus-trucks drive to and from us-factories, especially at night
the us-containers give off the new scent that penetrates (tingling gums,
taste of iron) the us-houses, the us-rooms, the sleepers’ us-noses.
To create new beings you need to erase the old ones first
by exposing them to an intense shock that sweeps away the past:
create a disaster, even in the absence of disaster, especially in the absence of disaster.
During the disaster, the victims think only of self-preservation
and the rubble is there for the taking.
Us-fear everywhere in the form of them-foxes that leap out at night
diamond-eyed in front of us-cars. As if they’re following us, we arrive home
to find them curled up in us-gardens, looking cute, running alongside us-children’s bikes.
But a them-fox that’s been fed will approach more and more us-people.
There are stories of them-foxes penetrating us-houses and biting us-babies.
If a them-fox is not scared of us at all times, there is a chance the them-fox
will have to be captured because it can no longer feed itself.
That’s why you should never feed a them-fox, it doesn’t help the animal.
Provide a disaster every week. Always be the first to attend to the rubble.
Build magnificent fear factories. Introduce fear as a monetary unit.
© Translation: 2021, David Colmer
STRATEGIE 3 – ONTMENSELIJK – BELEG IN ANGST ALS KAPITAAL
STRATEGIE 3 – ONTMENSELIJK – BELEG IN ANGST ALS KAPITAAL
Onder de gele wolken op de schoorstenenrijden wij-vrachtwagens naar en van wij-fabrieken, vooral ‘s nachts
verspreidt zich uit wij-containers de nieuwe geur (tintelend tandvlees, ijzersmaak)
die de wij-huizen, de wij-kamers, de wij-neuzen van de slapenden binnendringen.
Wie een nieuwe mens wil creëren moet de oude wissen
door hem bloot te stellen aan een hevige schok die het verleden wegveegt:
creëer een ramp, zelfs als er geen ramp is, vooral als er geen ramp is.
Terwijl de ramp aan de gang is, denken slachtoffers alleen aan zelfbehoud
en ligt het puin klaar voor wie het wil inpalmen.
Overal wij-angst in de vorm van zij-vossen die ‘s nachts met diamanten ogen
voor wij-auto’s opduiken. Alsof ze ons volgen liggen ze bij thuiskomst
in wij-voortuinen, lief kijkend, lopen mee met fietsrijdende wij-kinderen.
Maar een zij-vos die eten krijgt zal almaar meer wij-mensen benaderen.
Er zijn verhalen van zij-vossen die wij-huizen binnendringen en een wij-baby bijten.
Als de zij-vos niet ten alle tijde bang is van ons, bestaat de kans dat de zij-vos
moet worden gevangen omdat hij niet langer voor zijn eigen eten kan zorgen.
Geef de zij-vos daarom nooit eten, het dier wordt er niet door geholpen.
Voorzie elke week een ramp. Ontferm je telkens als eerste over het puin.
Bouw prachtige angstfabrieken. Voer angst in als munteenheid.
© 2019, Frank Verhelst
From: Zon
Publisher: De Bezige Bij,
From: Zon
Publisher: De Bezige Bij,
Poems
Poems of Peter Verhelst
Close
STRATEGY 3 – DEHUMANISE – INVEST IN FEAR AS CAPITAL
Under the yellow clouds tagging the smokestacksus-trucks drive to and from us-factories, especially at night
the us-containers give off the new scent that penetrates (tingling gums,
taste of iron) the us-houses, the us-rooms, the sleepers’ us-noses.
To create new beings you need to erase the old ones first
by exposing them to an intense shock that sweeps away the past:
create a disaster, even in the absence of disaster, especially in the absence of disaster.
During the disaster, the victims think only of self-preservation
and the rubble is there for the taking.
Us-fear everywhere in the form of them-foxes that leap out at night
diamond-eyed in front of us-cars. As if they’re following us, we arrive home
to find them curled up in us-gardens, looking cute, running alongside us-children’s bikes.
But a them-fox that’s been fed will approach more and more us-people.
There are stories of them-foxes penetrating us-houses and biting us-babies.
If a them-fox is not scared of us at all times, there is a chance the them-fox
will have to be captured because it can no longer feed itself.
That’s why you should never feed a them-fox, it doesn’t help the animal.
Provide a disaster every week. Always be the first to attend to the rubble.
Build magnificent fear factories. Introduce fear as a monetary unit.
© 2021, David Colmer
From: Zon
From: Zon
STRATEGY 3 – DEHUMANISE – INVEST IN FEAR AS CAPITAL
Under the yellow clouds tagging the smokestacksus-trucks drive to and from us-factories, especially at night
the us-containers give off the new scent that penetrates (tingling gums,
taste of iron) the us-houses, the us-rooms, the sleepers’ us-noses.
To create new beings you need to erase the old ones first
by exposing them to an intense shock that sweeps away the past:
create a disaster, even in the absence of disaster, especially in the absence of disaster.
During the disaster, the victims think only of self-preservation
and the rubble is there for the taking.
Us-fear everywhere in the form of them-foxes that leap out at night
diamond-eyed in front of us-cars. As if they’re following us, we arrive home
to find them curled up in us-gardens, looking cute, running alongside us-children’s bikes.
But a them-fox that’s been fed will approach more and more us-people.
There are stories of them-foxes penetrating us-houses and biting us-babies.
If a them-fox is not scared of us at all times, there is a chance the them-fox
will have to be captured because it can no longer feed itself.
That’s why you should never feed a them-fox, it doesn’t help the animal.
Provide a disaster every week. Always be the first to attend to the rubble.
Build magnificent fear factories. Introduce fear as a monetary unit.
© 2021, David Colmer
Sponsors
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère