Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Esther Jansma

PRESENCE

No more questions from me: from now on I am going
to know things. From now on she is not rose but julia

and her sleep is not the sleep of things.
From now on she can be known, I am going to live

a long long time with her in a house and feed her,
teach her to speak and she will tell me how it is

while she is always changing. Always using different words.
Sometimes I cut her hair. Then her head changes.

As for me, I change so slowly she will not notice:
when she is grown up

I will always have been old and happy.

AANWEZIGHEID

AANWEZIGHEID

Ik ben uitgevraagd. Vanaf nu ga ik dingen weten.
Vanaf nu is zij geen roos maar julia

en is haar slaap niet de slaap van de dingen.
Vanaf nu kan zij gekend worden, ga ik heel lang

met haar in een huis wonen en haar eten geven,
leer ik haar praten en vertelt zij me hoe het is

terwijl ze steeds verandert. Steeds gebruikt ze andere woorden.
Soms knip ik haar haren. Dan verandert haar hoofd.

Zelf verander ik zo langzaam dat zij niets merkt,
wanneer zij groot is

ben ik altijd al oud en blij geweest.
Close

PRESENCE

No more questions from me: from now on I am going
to know things. From now on she is not rose but julia

and her sleep is not the sleep of things.
From now on she can be known, I am going to live

a long long time with her in a house and feed her,
teach her to speak and she will tell me how it is

while she is always changing. Always using different words.
Sometimes I cut her hair. Then her head changes.

As for me, I change so slowly she will not notice:
when she is grown up

I will always have been old and happy.

PRESENCE

No more questions from me: from now on I am going
to know things. From now on she is not rose but julia

and her sleep is not the sleep of things.
From now on she can be known, I am going to live

a long long time with her in a house and feed her,
teach her to speak and she will tell me how it is

while she is always changing. Always using different words.
Sometimes I cut her hair. Then her head changes.

As for me, I change so slowly she will not notice:
when she is grown up

I will always have been old and happy.
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