Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Anne Vegter

Minus bollocks on the cow meadow

(on seeing ‘The Musk Ox’, a sculpture by Tom Waakop, Crooswijk)

The outskirts keep at a distance
as if the only way of living with the castrato;

we don’t keep art for the milk
which keeps hand-clapping generations

grazing for a childhood paradise
of urban pleasures or preferably the slide

or if need be a title full of heroism:
The Ox of Troy.

It’s raining in the outskirts where he,
proof against disconsolation,

has never heard of himself.
Waakop? Troy? Rotterdam?

(bij de ‘Muskusos’, een beeld van Tom Waakop, Crooswijk)

(bij de ‘Muskusos’, een beeld van Tom Waakop, Crooswijk)

De buitenwijk houdt zich op afstand
of alleen zo met de castraat te leven valt;

niet om de melk hoeden wij kunst,
die handenklappende generaties

grazend houdt naar kinderparadijs
van stedelijk genot of toch liever de glijbaan

of desnoods een titel bol van heldendom:
De Os van Troje.

Het regent in de buitenwijk waar hij,
bestand gemaakt tegen ontroostbaarheid,

nooit gehoord heeft van zichzelf.
Waakop? Troje? Rotterdam?
Close

Minus bollocks on the cow meadow

(on seeing ‘The Musk Ox’, a sculpture by Tom Waakop, Crooswijk)

The outskirts keep at a distance
as if the only way of living with the castrato;

we don’t keep art for the milk
which keeps hand-clapping generations

grazing for a childhood paradise
of urban pleasures or preferably the slide

or if need be a title full of heroism:
The Ox of Troy.

It’s raining in the outskirts where he,
proof against disconsolation,

has never heard of himself.
Waakop? Troy? Rotterdam?

Minus bollocks on the cow meadow

(on seeing ‘The Musk Ox’, a sculpture by Tom Waakop, Crooswijk)

The outskirts keep at a distance
as if the only way of living with the castrato;

we don’t keep art for the milk
which keeps hand-clapping generations

grazing for a childhood paradise
of urban pleasures or preferably the slide

or if need be a title full of heroism:
The Ox of Troy.

It’s raining in the outskirts where he,
proof against disconsolation,

has never heard of himself.
Waakop? Troy? Rotterdam?
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