Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Gerrit Kouwenaar

a smell of burnt feathers

One comes home, it’s march, one opens up
the wintered house, absence and lack
have knotted webs, consumed freeloaders, driven
the owl through the chimney to death



the floor full of helpless down, the books
shit chalk-white, the glasses in smithers
on the eternal bed a tidy carcass
with huge wings



what did one do today?
picked up branches, bewailed the withering
elderberry, fueled a fire with trash –

een geur van verbrande veren

een geur van verbrande veren

Men komt thuis, het is maart, men ontsluit
het verwinterde huis, afzijn gebrek
hebben webben gestrikt, mee-eters verteerd, de uil
door de schoorsteen de dood in gedreven



de vloer vol hulpeloos dons, de boeken kalk
wit bescheten, de glazen aan gruizels
op het eeuwige bed een proper karkas
met machtige vleugels



wat heeft men gedaan vandaag?
takken geraapt, de kwijnende vlier beklaagd
vuur gestookt van afval -
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a smell of burnt feathers

One comes home, it’s march, one opens up
the wintered house, absence and lack
have knotted webs, consumed freeloaders, driven
the owl through the chimney to death



the floor full of helpless down, the books
shit chalk-white, the glasses in smithers
on the eternal bed a tidy carcass
with huge wings



what did one do today?
picked up branches, bewailed the withering
elderberry, fueled a fire with trash –

a smell of burnt feathers

One comes home, it’s march, one opens up
the wintered house, absence and lack
have knotted webs, consumed freeloaders, driven
the owl through the chimney to death



the floor full of helpless down, the books
shit chalk-white, the glasses in smithers
on the eternal bed a tidy carcass
with huge wings



what did one do today?
picked up branches, bewailed the withering
elderberry, fueled a fire with trash –
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