Poem
Antjie Krog
my words of love grow more tenuous than the sound of lilac
my words of love grow more tenuous than the sound of lilacmy language frayed
dazed and softened I feel myself through your stubborn struggle
you still hold me close like no-one else
you still choose my side like no-one else
against your chest I lie and I confess
you hunt my every gesture
you catch up with me everywhere
you pull me down between bush and grass
on the footpath you turn me around
so that I must look you in the eye
you kick me in the testicles
you shake me by the skin of my neck
you hold me, prick in the back, on the straight and narrow
© Translation: 2000, Antjie Krog
© Karen Press
From: Down to my last skin
Publisher: Random House, South Africa, 2000
© Karen Press
From: Down to my last skin
Publisher: Random House, South Africa, 2000
my words of love grow more tenuous than the sound of lilac
my liefdeswoorde raak yler as die geluid van sering
my taal twisserig
verbyster en verteder voel ek my deur jou verbete vegtery
jy hou my vas nog altyd soos niemand nie
jy kies my kant nog altyd soos niemand nie
teen jou borskas belieg en bely ek
jy jag my elke gebaar
jy haal my oral in
jy trek my neer tussen bos en gras
in die voetpad keer jy my om
dat ek jou in die oë moet kyk
jy skop my in die eiers
jy ratel my aan die nekvel
jy hou my, piel in die rug, op die straight en narrow
my taal twisserig
verbyster en verteder voel ek my deur jou verbete vegtery
jy hou my vas nog altyd soos niemand nie
jy kies my kant nog altyd soos niemand nie
teen jou borskas belieg en bely ek
jy jag my elke gebaar
jy haal my oral in
jy trek my neer tussen bos en gras
in die voetpad keer jy my om
dat ek jou in die oë moet kyk
jy skop my in die eiers
jy ratel my aan die nekvel
jy hou my, piel in die rug, op die straight en narrow
© 2000, Antjie Krog
From: Down to my last skin
Publisher: Random House, South Africa
From: Down to my last skin
Publisher: Random House, South Africa
Poems
Poems of Antjie Krog
Close
my words of love grow more tenuous than the sound of lilac
my words of love grow more tenuous than the sound of lilacmy language frayed
dazed and softened I feel myself through your stubborn struggle
you still hold me close like no-one else
you still choose my side like no-one else
against your chest I lie and I confess
you hunt my every gesture
you catch up with me everywhere
you pull me down between bush and grass
on the footpath you turn me around
so that I must look you in the eye
you kick me in the testicles
you shake me by the skin of my neck
you hold me, prick in the back, on the straight and narrow
© 2000, Antjie Krog
© Karen Press
From: Down to my last skin
Publisher: 2000, Random House, South Africa
© Karen Press
From: Down to my last skin
Publisher: 2000, Random House, South Africa
my words of love grow more tenuous than the sound of lilac
my words of love grow more tenuous than the sound of lilacmy language frayed
dazed and softened I feel myself through your stubborn struggle
you still hold me close like no-one else
you still choose my side like no-one else
against your chest I lie and I confess
you hunt my every gesture
you catch up with me everywhere
you pull me down between bush and grass
on the footpath you turn me around
so that I must look you in the eye
you kick me in the testicles
you shake me by the skin of my neck
you hold me, prick in the back, on the straight and narrow
© 2000, Antjie Krog
© Karen Press
From: Down to my last skin
Publisher: 2000, Random House, South Africa
© Karen Press
From: Down to my last skin
Publisher: 2000, Random House, South Africa
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