Poem
Anne Vegter
BETWEEN BABIES AND LIES
already deep into my study of where lies come fromi picked up the body of a baby that breathed without a core
being there, i thought, being there is being around it
fortunately baby is doing well, as it’s permeable
bringing baby up to speed is slowwork
that’s easier to do on the coast, right by something beautiful:
take the sun or no, the sea, take the sea and its superplayful posturing
my sons say all that cruel glitter makes them grow
feel those little pulsations, all of them real
but the sea’s also spiteful: sloshing, wallowing, spitting
i don’t like owning it, but the sea is fair
just between the father and myself, because of my research:
did i catch you in a run up
were you about to furtively jump
deep beneath you the sea blushes from light to guilt, a last dash
this my plucky young sons know, they don’t like daytime diminutives
but those won’t drive a baby crazy
baby is the hunger between state and satiety, be bestially honest
bestial, honestly
now i can move on, it’s evening
baby wants to come along and stretches in my arms
o, sweet warm-throbbing body versus your heart, a hole in the ice
are you unsure again
just jump, keep jumping
stop looking back, little skippers, we’re off, off home
© Translation: 2021,
TUSSEN BABY’S EN LEUGENS
TUSSEN BABY’S EN LEUGENS
inmiddels goed op gang met mijn onderzoek naar de oorsprong van de leugenik raapte een babylichaam op dat ademde zonder kern
er zijn dacht ik, er zijn is er omheen zijn
gelukkig gaat het goed met baby, die van zichzelf doorlatend is
baby bijpraten is traagwerk
dat lukt beter aan de kust, naast iets moois:
neem de zon of nee, de zee, neem de zee en haar superspeelse houdingen
mijn zoons zeggen dat ze groeien van het onmenselijke geschitter
voel de pulsjes, allemaal echt
maar de zee is ook keihard: klotsen, zwelgen, uitspuwen
ik zeg het niet graag, maar de zee is eerlijk
even tussen de vader en mij, vanwege het onderzoek:
had ik je nou betrapt op een aanloop
ging jij nou heimelijk springen
diep onder jou kleurt de zee van licht naar schuld, een noodsprong
dit weten mijn piepjonge zoons, die houden overdag niet van verkleinwoorden
maar een baby maak ik er niet gek mee
baby is de honger tussen toestand en verzadiging, zeg eens dierlijk eerlijk
dierlijk, eerlijk
nu kan ik verder, het is avond
baby wil mee en strekt zich in mijn armen
o, lief warmkloppend lichaampje versus jouw hart, een wak
sta je nou weer te twijfelen
gewoon springen, blijven springen
schippertjes, niet meer omkijken, wij gaan hup, naar huis
© 2020, Anne Vegter
From: Big Data
Publisher: Querido,
From: Big Data
Publisher: Querido,
Poems
Poems of Anne Vegter
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BETWEEN BABIES AND LIES
already deep into my study of where lies come fromi picked up the body of a baby that breathed without a core
being there, i thought, being there is being around it
fortunately baby is doing well, as it’s permeable
bringing baby up to speed is slowwork
that’s easier to do on the coast, right by something beautiful:
take the sun or no, the sea, take the sea and its superplayful posturing
my sons say all that cruel glitter makes them grow
feel those little pulsations, all of them real
but the sea’s also spiteful: sloshing, wallowing, spitting
i don’t like owning it, but the sea is fair
just between the father and myself, because of my research:
did i catch you in a run up
were you about to furtively jump
deep beneath you the sea blushes from light to guilt, a last dash
this my plucky young sons know, they don’t like daytime diminutives
but those won’t drive a baby crazy
baby is the hunger between state and satiety, be bestially honest
bestial, honestly
now i can move on, it’s evening
baby wants to come along and stretches in my arms
o, sweet warm-throbbing body versus your heart, a hole in the ice
are you unsure again
just jump, keep jumping
stop looking back, little skippers, we’re off, off home
© 2021, Anne Vegter
From: Big Data
From: Big Data
BETWEEN BABIES AND LIES
already deep into my study of where lies come fromi picked up the body of a baby that breathed without a core
being there, i thought, being there is being around it
fortunately baby is doing well, as it’s permeable
bringing baby up to speed is slowwork
that’s easier to do on the coast, right by something beautiful:
take the sun or no, the sea, take the sea and its superplayful posturing
my sons say all that cruel glitter makes them grow
feel those little pulsations, all of them real
but the sea’s also spiteful: sloshing, wallowing, spitting
i don’t like owning it, but the sea is fair
just between the father and myself, because of my research:
did i catch you in a run up
were you about to furtively jump
deep beneath you the sea blushes from light to guilt, a last dash
this my plucky young sons know, they don’t like daytime diminutives
but those won’t drive a baby crazy
baby is the hunger between state and satiety, be bestially honest
bestial, honestly
now i can move on, it’s evening
baby wants to come along and stretches in my arms
o, sweet warm-throbbing body versus your heart, a hole in the ice
are you unsure again
just jump, keep jumping
stop looking back, little skippers, we’re off, off home
© 2021,
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