Poem
Charles Ducal
SET SAIL
A door creeks, a light buzzes on.Caught out a rat flees
into the ceiling.
Awakened from the flesh
the noise of hunger rises.
Incredibly heavy the dust hangs
in the webs, incredibly
heavy the stench.
Were you here before?
Beneath the load rising
slow and greasy
the toxic stream.
Do you know the rules onboard?
An engine starts.
In the pipes the shaking begins,
the meal falls.
Calmly the ferryman marks
the backs,
checks his number.
© Translation: 2006, Willem Groenewegen
AFVAART
AFVAART
Een deur knarst, een lamp zoemt aan.Betrapt vlucht een rat
het plafond in.
Gewekt uit het vlees stijgt
het rumoer van de honger.
Onwerkelijk zwaar hangt het stof
in de webben, onwerkelijk
weegt de stank.
Was u hier eerder al?
Onder de lading stijgt
traag en vet
de giftige stroom.
Kent u de regels aan boord?
Een motor slaat aan.
In de buizen begint het schudden,
het meel valt.
Kalm tekent de veerman
de ruggen,
controleert zijn getal.
© 2006, Charles Ducal
From: In inkt gewassen
Publisher: Atlas, Amsterdam
From: In inkt gewassen
Publisher: Atlas, Amsterdam
Poems
Poems of Charles Ducal
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SET SAIL
A door creeks, a light buzzes on.Caught out a rat flees
into the ceiling.
Awakened from the flesh
the noise of hunger rises.
Incredibly heavy the dust hangs
in the webs, incredibly
heavy the stench.
Were you here before?
Beneath the load rising
slow and greasy
the toxic stream.
Do you know the rules onboard?
An engine starts.
In the pipes the shaking begins,
the meal falls.
Calmly the ferryman marks
the backs,
checks his number.
© 2006, Willem Groenewegen
From: In inkt gewassen
From: In inkt gewassen
SET SAIL
A door creeks, a light buzzes on.Caught out a rat flees
into the ceiling.
Awakened from the flesh
the noise of hunger rises.
Incredibly heavy the dust hangs
in the webs, incredibly
heavy the stench.
Were you here before?
Beneath the load rising
slow and greasy
the toxic stream.
Do you know the rules onboard?
An engine starts.
In the pipes the shaking begins,
the meal falls.
Calmly the ferryman marks
the backs,
checks his number.
© 2006, Willem Groenewegen
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