Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Rutger Kopland

war

Whereas the story goes that it has been told
and finished with - but it breaks off

oh yes, I’ve been told it, told it
and yet

I see that grey, well-thumbed photograph
but again the grass is still greener than grass
and the blossom still whiter than blossom

in that grey garden it must have been war
in that man, that woman, that child
in that grey grass under that grey blossoming tree

I’ve been told and told how they had had
to disappear from there, be carried of,
in goods trains, never come back

whereas the story goes that it has been told
and finished with - but it breaks off

oh. yes, I’ve been told and told
how peace returned

but there is still no other photograph but this
in which it has yet to happen

oorlog

oorlog

Terwijl het verhaal wil dat het verteld en
voorbij is - maar het breekt af

zeker, het is mij verteld en verteld
maar nog

ik zie die grijze beduimelde foto
maar nog is het gras weer groener dan gras
en de bloesem weer witter dan bloesem

in die grijze tuin moet het oorlog zijn geweest
in die man, die vrouw, dat kind
in dat grijze gras onder die grijs bloeiende boom

het is mij verteld en verteld hoe zij daar
hadden moeten verdwijnen, worden weggevoerd
in goederentreinen, nooit terugkomen

terwijl het verhaal wil dat het verteld en
voorbij is - maar het breekt af

zeker, het is mij verteld en verteld
hoe vrede weerkeerde

maar nog is er geen andere foto dan deze
waarin het nog moet
Close

war

Whereas the story goes that it has been told
and finished with - but it breaks off

oh yes, I’ve been told it, told it
and yet

I see that grey, well-thumbed photograph
but again the grass is still greener than grass
and the blossom still whiter than blossom

in that grey garden it must have been war
in that man, that woman, that child
in that grey grass under that grey blossoming tree

I’ve been told and told how they had had
to disappear from there, be carried of,
in goods trains, never come back

whereas the story goes that it has been told
and finished with - but it breaks off

oh. yes, I’ve been told and told
how peace returned

but there is still no other photograph but this
in which it has yet to happen

war

Whereas the story goes that it has been told
and finished with - but it breaks off

oh yes, I’ve been told it, told it
and yet

I see that grey, well-thumbed photograph
but again the grass is still greener than grass
and the blossom still whiter than blossom

in that grey garden it must have been war
in that man, that woman, that child
in that grey grass under that grey blossoming tree

I’ve been told and told how they had had
to disappear from there, be carried of,
in goods trains, never come back

whereas the story goes that it has been told
and finished with - but it breaks off

oh. yes, I’ve been told and told
how peace returned

but there is still no other photograph but this
in which it has yet to happen
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
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