Poem
Esther Jansma
Archeology
If, then, we have to clothe ourselves,against the cold, for instance, or in the name of something,
in the shreds of this or that time past,
stories and memory-props that tell us nothing
except that we were already there
in the today that existed before today -
if we can only preserve ourselves in the now
by continually re-inventing ourselves in the now,
then preferably simply by means of clothing.
You are sitting at table. Suddenly you see how someone
was crossing ice, how the cold got its grip on him
or some other fate and you say: look,
here you have his shoes, leather jacket, gloves.
Where is time? Time is here.
Archeologie
Archeologie
Als we ons dan toch moeten kleden,tegen kou bijvoorbeeld, of in naam van iets,
in resten van dit of dat verleden,
verhalen en geheugensteuntjes die niets
vertellen dan dat we er al waren
in de tijd die bestond voor dit heden -
als wij onszelf alleen in het nu kunnen bewaren
door onszelf voortdurend uit te vinden in het nu
dan liefst eenvoudig, aan de hand van kleding.
Je zit aan tafel. Opeens zie je hoe iemand
ijs overstak, hoe hem de kou beving
of een ander einde en je zegt: kijk,
hier heb je zijn schoenen, leren mantel, wanten.
\'Waar is de tijd? Hier is de tijd.\'
© 1998, De Arbeiderspers
From: Hier is de tijd
Publisher: De Arbeiderspers,
From: Hier is de tijd
Publisher: De Arbeiderspers,
Poems
Poems of Esther Jansma
Close
Archeology
If, then, we have to clothe ourselves,against the cold, for instance, or in the name of something,
in the shreds of this or that time past,
stories and memory-props that tell us nothing
except that we were already there
in the today that existed before today -
if we can only preserve ourselves in the now
by continually re-inventing ourselves in the now,
then preferably simply by means of clothing.
You are sitting at table. Suddenly you see how someone
was crossing ice, how the cold got its grip on him
or some other fate and you say: look,
here you have his shoes, leather jacket, gloves.
Where is time? Time is here.
From: Hier is de tijd
Archeology
If, then, we have to clothe ourselves,against the cold, for instance, or in the name of something,
in the shreds of this or that time past,
stories and memory-props that tell us nothing
except that we were already there
in the today that existed before today -
if we can only preserve ourselves in the now
by continually re-inventing ourselves in the now,
then preferably simply by means of clothing.
You are sitting at table. Suddenly you see how someone
was crossing ice, how the cold got its grip on him
or some other fate and you say: look,
here you have his shoes, leather jacket, gloves.
Where is time? Time is here.
Sponsors
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère