Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Andrea Inglese

WRITE, HESITANT HAND

Write, hesitant hand,
a date, spread the numbers out,
add a hyphen between day
and month, and then between month
and year, and close,
fist, now
that the time has been convened
and wait, you sitting
shadow, outline,
breath that escapes
from a body and returns to it.

Wait for the luxury
of having thickness
and volume: a name
tied to the names, in a place
tied to the places, a net
therefore
that will keep you somewhere
suspended
a little bit longer
away from the void.

WRITE, HESITANT HAND

Scrivi, mano esitante,
una data, stendi le cifre,
poni il tratto tra giorno
e mese, poi tra mese
e anno, e chiuditi
pugno adesso
che il tempo è convocato
e attendi tu, ombra
seduta, contorno,
soffio che sfugge
da un corpo e vi ritorna.

Attendi il lusso
di avere spessore
e volume: un nome
legato a dei nomi, in un luogo
legato a dei luoghi, una rete
dunque
che ti tenga da qualche parte
sospeso
ancora un poco
lontano dal vuoto.
Close

WRITE, HESITANT HAND

Write, hesitant hand,
a date, spread the numbers out,
add a hyphen between day
and month, and then between month
and year, and close,
fist, now
that the time has been convened
and wait, you sitting
shadow, outline,
breath that escapes
from a body and returns to it.

Wait for the luxury
of having thickness
and volume: a name
tied to the names, in a place
tied to the places, a net
therefore
that will keep you somewhere
suspended
a little bit longer
away from the void.

WRITE, HESITANT HAND

Write, hesitant hand,
a date, spread the numbers out,
add a hyphen between day
and month, and then between month
and year, and close,
fist, now
that the time has been convened
and wait, you sitting
shadow, outline,
breath that escapes
from a body and returns to it.

Wait for the luxury
of having thickness
and volume: a name
tied to the names, in a place
tied to the places, a net
therefore
that will keep you somewhere
suspended
a little bit longer
away from the void.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère