Poem
Peter Verhelst
SUN ARISE
They say there are lions on the rooftops.A gigantic cloud shaped like a city
above what was once the city.
We gather round the charred rubble.
One step at a time our feet, knees and bellies slide the stones
and ash, molten bodies or things, into a pile.
First we form an octagon, then a rectangle, a square
and, finally, a circle.
We link arms, hip to hip, heads bowed,
tightening the circle millimetre by millimetre
until it’s compact and black, gleaming between us.
We push the piano along in front of us. It hums. Everywhere,
bleeding people like a field of tulips – there are so many kinds
of red, but many more kinds
of sorrow.
Lions with furious manes on the rooftops.
We drag the piano behind us under a cloud
shaped like a piano. We form a single heartbeat. Pounding.
© Translation: 2021, David Colmer
SUN ARISE
SUN ARISE
Ze zeggen dat er leeuwen op de daken lopen.Een wolk in de vorm van een stad
boven wat ooit de stad was.
We gaan om het zwartgeblakerde puin staan,
stap voor stap schuiven onze voeten, knieën en buik de stenen samen
met as, versmolten lichamen of dingen, op een hoop.
Eerst vormen we een achthoek, dan een rechthoek, een vierkant
en uiteindelijk een cirkel.
We haken de armen in elkaar, heup aan heup, kop gebogen,
millimeter voor millimeter trekken we de cirkel strakker aan
tot die compact en zwart tussen ons in te glanzen staat.
We duwen de piano voor ons uit. Ze bromt. Overal
staan mensen te bloeden als een veld vol tulpen – er zijn vele soorten
rood, maar nog veel meer vormen
van verdriet.
Leeuwen met laaiende manen op de daken.
We slepen de piano achter ons aan onder een wolk
in de vorm van een piano. Eén hartslag zijn we. Dreunend.
© 2019, Peter Verhelst
From: Zon
Publisher: De Bezige Bij,
From: Zon
Publisher: De Bezige Bij,
Poems
Poems of Peter Verhelst
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SUN ARISE
They say there are lions on the rooftops.A gigantic cloud shaped like a city
above what was once the city.
We gather round the charred rubble.
One step at a time our feet, knees and bellies slide the stones
and ash, molten bodies or things, into a pile.
First we form an octagon, then a rectangle, a square
and, finally, a circle.
We link arms, hip to hip, heads bowed,
tightening the circle millimetre by millimetre
until it’s compact and black, gleaming between us.
We push the piano along in front of us. It hums. Everywhere,
bleeding people like a field of tulips – there are so many kinds
of red, but many more kinds
of sorrow.
Lions with furious manes on the rooftops.
We drag the piano behind us under a cloud
shaped like a piano. We form a single heartbeat. Pounding.
© 2021, David Colmer
From: Zon
From: Zon
SUN ARISE
They say there are lions on the rooftops.A gigantic cloud shaped like a city
above what was once the city.
We gather round the charred rubble.
One step at a time our feet, knees and bellies slide the stones
and ash, molten bodies or things, into a pile.
First we form an octagon, then a rectangle, a square
and, finally, a circle.
We link arms, hip to hip, heads bowed,
tightening the circle millimetre by millimetre
until it’s compact and black, gleaming between us.
We push the piano along in front of us. It hums. Everywhere,
bleeding people like a field of tulips – there are so many kinds
of red, but many more kinds
of sorrow.
Lions with furious manes on the rooftops.
We drag the piano behind us under a cloud
shaped like a piano. We form a single heartbeat. Pounding.
© 2021, David Colmer
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