Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Geert Buelens

ON THE ORIGIN OF GEOMETRY

Slipping

and that’s how you fall
off
you fall into
it

the verdict
stretches
extends
honour
to the sentinel –

              you fall
              into it
              and slip

It is
not the man who points
who cracks
he yawns
the gap open and rises
up

              that’s nice
              good to know
              on scientific stand-by

the bridging of a valley
in three-quarter time

              when the stealth-dance speaks
              and the candleman leaps
              then all the lecterns flower

they are put
up with

without a hearing

Look, the craneman comes
between
both of them now start jamming
the great leap forward, and even longer march, the step never taken
that puts everthing in a different light

the twenty-seventh letter

It is with the deepest conviction
t hat I stand before you now
to tell you, ladies and gentlemen
that a limit has been reached
that boundaries have been crossed
that we must go back
if we don’t want to jeopardise

Growth in prospects

This I can assure you
and I know
that you know
that I’m counting on you
because you’re counting on me


Racing down the right
an eel slips one in.

the camp has been evacuated
the circuit disabled, incessantly,
incessantly

over
never over

              you know
              not this
              never this

did you know
it’s not the dimensions that count
not the calibre, the standard
the banner of shifting positions

              you mean?

This is clear
you see
this lucid line
never shown before
innocence lost
purity renounced

              ah
              systemic contractions
              configured dysfunctions
              ha

It is
the slight disparity
in a fine-tuned difference
almost inaudible

the subtle
opening of the dispute

It is
because
that’s why
that’s why

Over het ontstaan van meetkunde

Over het ontstaan van meetkunde

Glijden

en zo verval
je
je valt
erin

het oordeel
rekt
strekt
de torenwachter
tot eer -

              je valt
              erin
              en glijdt

Het is
niet de man die wijst
die kraakt
hij gaapt
de kloof open en rijst
op

              fijn is dat
              goed om weten
              wetenschappelijk paraat

de overbrugging van een dal
in driekwartsmaat

              als dan de sluipdans spreekt
              en de kaarsman zweeft
              komen alle katheders tot bloei

verdragen
worden ze

zonder gehoor

Kijk, daar komt de kraanman
tussen
beiden zetten het nu op een jammen
de grote vlucht naar voren de nog langere mars de nooit
gezette stap de alles in een ander licht plaatsende

zevenentwintigste letter

Het is met de grootst mogelijke overtuiging
dat ik hier het woord neem
om u
te zeggen
dames en heren
dat hier een eindpunt is bereikt
dat hier grenzen zijn overschreden
dat we terug moeten
als we de groei niet willen

hypothekeren

Dat is wat ik u verzeker
en ik weet
dat u weet
dat ik daarvoor op u reken
omdat u daarvoor op mij rekent


Daar glipt een aal langs
rechts
binnen

het kamp is ontruimd
de stroom gebreken ononderbroken
ononderbroken

voorbij
nooit voorbij

              weet u
              dat niet
              dat nooit

wist u
dat niet de dimensies tellen
niet het kaliber
de standaard
het vaandel der positiewissels

              u bedoelt

dit is duidelijk
ziet u
die klare lijn
nooit eerder vertoond
de verloren onschuld
de afgelegde zuiverheid

              ah
              systeeminherente contracties
              geconfigureerde disfuncties
              ha

Het is
het net niet samenvallen
onhoorbaar haast
van een fijngestemd
verschil

een tersluiks
geopend geschil

Het is
omdat
daarom
daarom
Close

ON THE ORIGIN OF GEOMETRY

Slipping

and that’s how you fall
off
you fall into
it

the verdict
stretches
extends
honour
to the sentinel –

              you fall
              into it
              and slip

It is
not the man who points
who cracks
he yawns
the gap open and rises
up

              that’s nice
              good to know
              on scientific stand-by

the bridging of a valley
in three-quarter time

              when the stealth-dance speaks
              and the candleman leaps
              then all the lecterns flower

they are put
up with

without a hearing

Look, the craneman comes
between
both of them now start jamming
the great leap forward, and even longer march, the step never taken
that puts everthing in a different light

the twenty-seventh letter

It is with the deepest conviction
t hat I stand before you now
to tell you, ladies and gentlemen
that a limit has been reached
that boundaries have been crossed
that we must go back
if we don’t want to jeopardise

Growth in prospects

This I can assure you
and I know
that you know
that I’m counting on you
because you’re counting on me


Racing down the right
an eel slips one in.

the camp has been evacuated
the circuit disabled, incessantly,
incessantly

over
never over

              you know
              not this
              never this

did you know
it’s not the dimensions that count
not the calibre, the standard
the banner of shifting positions

              you mean?

This is clear
you see
this lucid line
never shown before
innocence lost
purity renounced

              ah
              systemic contractions
              configured dysfunctions
              ha

It is
the slight disparity
in a fine-tuned difference
almost inaudible

the subtle
opening of the dispute

It is
because
that’s why
that’s why

ON THE ORIGIN OF GEOMETRY

Slipping

and that’s how you fall
off
you fall into
it

the verdict
stretches
extends
honour
to the sentinel –

              you fall
              into it
              and slip

It is
not the man who points
who cracks
he yawns
the gap open and rises
up

              that’s nice
              good to know
              on scientific stand-by

the bridging of a valley
in three-quarter time

              when the stealth-dance speaks
              and the candleman leaps
              then all the lecterns flower

they are put
up with

without a hearing

Look, the craneman comes
between
both of them now start jamming
the great leap forward, and even longer march, the step never taken
that puts everthing in a different light

the twenty-seventh letter

It is with the deepest conviction
t hat I stand before you now
to tell you, ladies and gentlemen
that a limit has been reached
that boundaries have been crossed
that we must go back
if we don’t want to jeopardise

Growth in prospects

This I can assure you
and I know
that you know
that I’m counting on you
because you’re counting on me


Racing down the right
an eel slips one in.

the camp has been evacuated
the circuit disabled, incessantly,
incessantly

over
never over

              you know
              not this
              never this

did you know
it’s not the dimensions that count
not the calibre, the standard
the banner of shifting positions

              you mean?

This is clear
you see
this lucid line
never shown before
innocence lost
purity renounced

              ah
              systemic contractions
              configured dysfunctions
              ha

It is
the slight disparity
in a fine-tuned difference
almost inaudible

the subtle
opening of the dispute

It is
because
that’s why
that’s why
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