Poem
Luuk Gruwez
The last word
She makes herself pretty for her death, my love.No shirt, no skirt costs too much for her.
She buys herself earrings and sultry perfume,
but is still thrifty with water and gas.
So much that she still hasn’t learned to forget:
how good you need to smell when you die
and that with a bad last impression
you can ruin your whole life.
So much that I still want to say:
that she still needs to eat up before she goes.
Give me, not her, the last word.
I only ask: get well, get well.
© Translation: 1997, Kendall Dunkelberg
From: The Literary Review
Publisher: , Madison, 1997
From: The Literary Review
Publisher: , Madison, 1997
Het laatste woord
Het laatste woord
Zij maakt zich mooi voor haar dood, mijn lief.Geen hemd, geen rok is haar te duur.
Zij koopt zich oorringen en zwoel parfum,
maar is nog spaarzaam met water en gas.
Zoveel dat zij nog niet heeft afgeleerd:
hoe lekker je moet ruiken als je sterft
en dat je met een slechte slotindruk
je hele leven niet verpesten mag.
Zoveel dat ik nog zeggen wil:
dat zij toch goed moet eten voor zij gaat.
Geef mij, niet haar, het laatste woord.
Ik eis alleen: genees, genees.
© 1994, Luuk Gruwez
From: Vuile manieren
Publisher: De Arbeiderspers, Amsterdam
From: Vuile manieren
Publisher: De Arbeiderspers, Amsterdam
Poems
Poems of Luuk Gruwez
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The last word
She makes herself pretty for her death, my love.No shirt, no skirt costs too much for her.
She buys herself earrings and sultry perfume,
but is still thrifty with water and gas.
So much that she still hasn’t learned to forget:
how good you need to smell when you die
and that with a bad last impression
you can ruin your whole life.
So much that I still want to say:
that she still needs to eat up before she goes.
Give me, not her, the last word.
I only ask: get well, get well.
© 1997, Kendall Dunkelberg
From: The Literary Review
Publisher: 1997, De Arbeiderspers, Madison
From: The Literary Review
Publisher: 1997, De Arbeiderspers, Madison
The last word
She makes herself pretty for her death, my love.No shirt, no skirt costs too much for her.
She buys herself earrings and sultry perfume,
but is still thrifty with water and gas.
So much that she still hasn’t learned to forget:
how good you need to smell when you die
and that with a bad last impression
you can ruin your whole life.
So much that I still want to say:
that she still needs to eat up before she goes.
Give me, not her, the last word.
I only ask: get well, get well.
© 1997, Kendall Dunkelberg
From: The Literary Review
Publisher: 1997, , Madison
From: The Literary Review
Publisher: 1997, , Madison
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