Theophilus Kwek
THE WEEK IT HAPPENS
DE BEWUSTE WEEK
Voor derde sergeant Gavin Chan, vermoord tijdens een training in vredestijd
zo bouwen we een muur om een naam heen
de bewuste week wordt ons verteld dat spreken
over doden kwaadspreken is dat er geen
ruimte is voor conjectuur of kletspraat hij zegt
dat er slechts plek is voor feiten en zelfs dan
zeggen we niets posten niets op Facebook of
Twitter er heerst stilte in de zaal sommigen
kijken op hun telefoon misschien hebben ze
iets gezegd zonder te denken dat dat wordt
gezien als conjectuur misschien ze zitten alleen
op Instagram dit hier gaat hij verder dit hier
is om even te denken aan de familie van de jongen
hij verbetert zichzelf man hij bedoelt jonge-
man maar hij pauzeert niemand hoort het
alsof hij zijn stem kwijt is meteen daarna zegt
hij jongen dat woord het hangt in zijn keel
klinkt alsof het gevangen zit en probeert te
ontsnappen een zorgvuldig hek hoog gebouwd
om juist te voorkomen dat dit gebeurt dit
zijn de feiten zoals ze geschieden op
volgorde de jongen want laten we ’m zo noemen
heeft de leiding over een gepantserd voertuig een
tank hij begeleidt die tijdens een reis over
onbegaanbaar terrein hij kantelt om en hij
wordt zinneloos gevonden het gebeurt snel
in zulke situaties de gehoorzaal is helemaal
stil ons is gevraagd om met rechte
rug te zitten niemand ademt dus ’t is moeilijk
te zeggen wat mensen denken maar hier zitten
we jongens jongemannen en bang om te sterven
Publisher: 2023, Voor het eerst gepubliceerd op PoetryInternational.com,
THE WEEK IT HAPPENS
for 3rd Sergeant Gavin Chan, killed in peacetime training
this is how we build a wall around a name
the week it happens we are told to speak
of the dead is to speak ill that there is no
room for speculation or idle talk he says
only facts have a place and even so we will
not say anything not post on Facebook or
Twitter there is a quiet in the room some
are checking their phones maybe they have
said something without thinking that might
be taken as speculation maybe they are just
on Instagram this is he continues this is
to spare a thought for the family of the boy
he corrects himself man he means young
man but there is a pause nobody hears it
as if he loses his voice immediately after he
says boy the word it hangs in his throat
sounding like it has been caught trying to
escape a careful fence a tall one raised
precisely to stop this from happening these
are the facts as they take place an order
of events the boy for let us call him that
is in command of an armoured vehicle a
tank he is guiding it as it travels through
difficult terrain it falls on its side and he
is found unconscious it happens quickly
in situations like this the auditorium is very
quiet we have been asked to sit with our
backs straight nobody breathes so it’s hard
to say what anyone thinks but here we
are boys young men and scared of dying
Publisher: First published on poetryinternational.com,
THE WEEK IT HAPPENS
for 3rd Sergeant Gavin Chan, killed in peacetime training
this is how we build a wall around a name
the week it happens we are told to speak
of the dead is to speak ill that there is no
room for speculation or idle talk he says
only facts have a place and even so we will
not say anything not post on Facebook or
Twitter there is a quiet in the room some
are checking their phones maybe they have
said something without thinking that might
be taken as speculation maybe they are just
on Instagram this is he continues this is
to spare a thought for the family of the boy
he corrects himself man he means young
man but there is a pause nobody hears it
as if he loses his voice immediately after he
says boy the word it hangs in his throat
sounding like it has been caught trying to
escape a careful fence a tall one raised
precisely to stop this from happening these
are the facts as they take place an order
of events the boy for let us call him that
is in command of an armoured vehicle a
tank he is guiding it as it travels through
difficult terrain it falls on its side and he
is found unconscious it happens quickly
in situations like this the auditorium is very
quiet we have been asked to sit with our
backs straight nobody breathes so it’s hard
to say what anyone thinks but here we
are boys young men and scared of dying
THE WEEK IT HAPPENS
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