Poem
Elmar Kuiper
DOES THE SHOT STOP THE MAN WHO FALLS
Does the shot stop the man who fallswhen the bullet hits his chest
does it wound itself?
Or does the bullet learn not
to fire at a man who clutches
his weeping chest because death
from a barrel extinguishes life.
Does the slug cry out murderer?
Does the bullet think of the man
as it whistles through the air
for even one living second.
© Translation: 2006, Susan Massotty
Keart it skot de man dy’t falt
Keart it skot de man dy’t falt
as kûgel yn it boarst sjit
hy himsels ferwûnet?
Of leart de kûgel ôf priis
te sjitten op in man dy’t lûkt
yn it gûlende boarst omdat dea
út ’e loop libben ôfslút.
Ropt it lead moardman?
Betinkt dy kûgel fluitsjend
ûnderweis dy man
in libbene tel.
as kûgel yn it boarst sjit
hy himsels ferwûnet?
Of leart de kûgel ôf priis
te sjitten op in man dy’t lûkt
yn it gûlende boarst omdat dea
út ’e loop libben ôfslút.
Ropt it lead moardman?
Betinkt dy kûgel fluitsjend
ûnderweis dy man
in libbene tel.
© 2004, Elmar Kuiper
From: Herbyt
Publisher: Bornmeer,
From: Herbyt
Publisher: Bornmeer,
Poems
Poems of Elmar Kuiper
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DOES THE SHOT STOP THE MAN WHO FALLS
Does the shot stop the man who fallswhen the bullet hits his chest
does it wound itself?
Or does the bullet learn not
to fire at a man who clutches
his weeping chest because death
from a barrel extinguishes life.
Does the slug cry out murderer?
Does the bullet think of the man
as it whistles through the air
for even one living second.
© 2006, Susan Massotty
From: Herbyt
From: Herbyt
DOES THE SHOT STOP THE MAN WHO FALLS
Does the shot stop the man who fallswhen the bullet hits his chest
does it wound itself?
Or does the bullet learn not
to fire at a man who clutches
his weeping chest because death
from a barrel extinguishes life.
Does the slug cry out murderer?
Does the bullet think of the man
as it whistles through the air
for even one living second.
© 2006, Susan Massotty
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