Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Esther Jansma

CONCERNING THE WRITING OF BEAUTIFUL NATURE POEMS

Writing nature poems is a complicated business,
something to think long about, sigh over,
in Dutch, for instance, about \'boom\' and \'rood\', how they differ,
how to remove the difference. Processes, you think,

how water dissolves ink, something of that kind -
but how does a \'boom\' make its way to \'rood\'?
Does dying light suggest itself? Reject it.
Someone hanging from a bough, bleeding? Winter,

and in it, a robin? And more of that sort. Nothing
fits the bill. Then: you dismiss the \'b\' at the beginning,
and the sealing-off the \'m\', treat the \'r\' as disposable, say

that \'d\' is dead, and you are left with: two times \'oo\'.
Not beautiful, pretty bare, an almost helpless \'o, o!\'.
Writing nature poems is demolition work.

OVER HET SCHRIJVEN VAN MOOIE NATUURGEDICHTEN

OVER HET SCHRIJVEN VAN MOOIE NATUURGEDICHTEN

Natuurgedichten schrijven is ingewikkeld,
iets waarbij men zuchtend moet gaan nadenken
over bijvoorbeeld rood en boom en wat het verschil is
en hoe dit op te heffen. Processen, denkt men,

hoe water inkt doet vervloeien, zo ongeveer moet dat -
maar hoe doet een boom dat richting rood?
Stelt zich er late lucht bij voor, verwerpt die.
Iemand die aan een tak hangt en bloedt? Winter

en daarin een roodborst? En nog zo wat. Niets
voldoet. Dan: men verbant de b van beginnen
en het hekwerk van m, roept de r uit tot rotzooi, zegt

de d is dood, en houdt over: tweemaal oo.
Niet mooi, wel kaal, een haast radeloos o, o.
Natuurgedichten schrijven is sloopwerk.
Close

CONCERNING THE WRITING OF BEAUTIFUL NATURE POEMS

Writing nature poems is a complicated business,
something to think long about, sigh over,
in Dutch, for instance, about \'boom\' and \'rood\', how they differ,
how to remove the difference. Processes, you think,

how water dissolves ink, something of that kind -
but how does a \'boom\' make its way to \'rood\'?
Does dying light suggest itself? Reject it.
Someone hanging from a bough, bleeding? Winter,

and in it, a robin? And more of that sort. Nothing
fits the bill. Then: you dismiss the \'b\' at the beginning,
and the sealing-off the \'m\', treat the \'r\' as disposable, say

that \'d\' is dead, and you are left with: two times \'oo\'.
Not beautiful, pretty bare, an almost helpless \'o, o!\'.
Writing nature poems is demolition work.

CONCERNING THE WRITING OF BEAUTIFUL NATURE POEMS

Writing nature poems is a complicated business,
something to think long about, sigh over,
in Dutch, for instance, about \'boom\' and \'rood\', how they differ,
how to remove the difference. Processes, you think,

how water dissolves ink, something of that kind -
but how does a \'boom\' make its way to \'rood\'?
Does dying light suggest itself? Reject it.
Someone hanging from a bough, bleeding? Winter,

and in it, a robin? And more of that sort. Nothing
fits the bill. Then: you dismiss the \'b\' at the beginning,
and the sealing-off the \'m\', treat the \'r\' as disposable, say

that \'d\' is dead, and you are left with: two times \'oo\'.
Not beautiful, pretty bare, an almost helpless \'o, o!\'.
Writing nature poems is demolition work.
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