Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Eva Gerlach

NOW

the poem happens now
in the body of it this
happens. it breathes and it
runs and if you

speak to it it speaks. there is

everything the voice says (in the open window
naked the soft and smooth one’s reading proust far off
a car overturns the poem slits a throat) and

everything is with itself here in the glass of water
the tidal wave rolls a draught comes from a chink there is
the whirlwind there is sand on which you walk well
sand that falls on you. there is always the oven
where the wood burns up nicely and there is dough
risen that becomes bread in the
empty oven with the fragrance of a
child’s neck. there is the bread and i cut it
in the poem that eats it.

heartbeat
flagellum and dream

everything the voice says there is always the drop
and there is the face full of blood there is turbulence and
final breath there is on the floor the destroyed one
who ruins himself with clamour and there is the destroyer
in silk with a cup of tea in the morning and from
its spot on his robe the heron flies shits on the bed
of language goes fishing in spittle.

someone drives through the night and the word pushes his car
over the edge and his head snaps over the wheel

and the poem lays its floor on
that of reality and begins. it is everything
there is. and its form opens out
and it lets go and happens.

Nu

Nu

het gedicht gebeurt nu
in het lichaam ervan gebeurt
dit. het ademt en het
loopt en als je

ertegen praat praat het. er is

alles zegt de stem (in het open raam
zit de zachte en gladde naakt en leest proust in de verte
kantelt een auto snijdt het gedicht een keel door) en

alles is bij zichzelf hier in het glas water
rolt de vloedgolf er is tocht uit een kier en er is
de draaiwind er is zand waarop je goed loopt
zand dat op je valt. er is altijd de oven
waarin het hout schoon opbrandt en er is deeg
omhooggegaan dat in de lege oven
brood wordt met een geur van
kinderhals. er is het brood en ik snij het
in het gedicht dat het eet.

hartslag
zweepstaart en droom

alles zegt de stem er is altijd de druppel
en er is het gezicht vol bloed er is tochtigheid en
laatste adem er is op de vloer de vernielde
die zich bederft met misbaar en er is die vernielde
in zijde met een kop thee in de ochtend en van
zijn plek op diens rug vliegt de reiger en schijt op het bed
van de taal en gaat vissen in speeksel.

iemand rijdt in de nacht en het woord duwt zijn auto
over de rand en zijn hoofd knakt boven het stuur

en het gedicht legt zijn bodem
op die van de werkelijkheid en begint. het is alles
wat er is. en zijn vorm gaat open
en het laat los en gebeurt.

Close

NOW

the poem happens now
in the body of it this
happens. it breathes and it
runs and if you

speak to it it speaks. there is

everything the voice says (in the open window
naked the soft and smooth one’s reading proust far off
a car overturns the poem slits a throat) and

everything is with itself here in the glass of water
the tidal wave rolls a draught comes from a chink there is
the whirlwind there is sand on which you walk well
sand that falls on you. there is always the oven
where the wood burns up nicely and there is dough
risen that becomes bread in the
empty oven with the fragrance of a
child’s neck. there is the bread and i cut it
in the poem that eats it.

heartbeat
flagellum and dream

everything the voice says there is always the drop
and there is the face full of blood there is turbulence and
final breath there is on the floor the destroyed one
who ruins himself with clamour and there is the destroyer
in silk with a cup of tea in the morning and from
its spot on his robe the heron flies shits on the bed
of language goes fishing in spittle.

someone drives through the night and the word pushes his car
over the edge and his head snaps over the wheel

and the poem lays its floor on
that of reality and begins. it is everything
there is. and its form opens out
and it lets go and happens.

NOW

the poem happens now
in the body of it this
happens. it breathes and it
runs and if you

speak to it it speaks. there is

everything the voice says (in the open window
naked the soft and smooth one’s reading proust far off
a car overturns the poem slits a throat) and

everything is with itself here in the glass of water
the tidal wave rolls a draught comes from a chink there is
the whirlwind there is sand on which you walk well
sand that falls on you. there is always the oven
where the wood burns up nicely and there is dough
risen that becomes bread in the
empty oven with the fragrance of a
child’s neck. there is the bread and i cut it
in the poem that eats it.

heartbeat
flagellum and dream

everything the voice says there is always the drop
and there is the face full of blood there is turbulence and
final breath there is on the floor the destroyed one
who ruins himself with clamour and there is the destroyer
in silk with a cup of tea in the morning and from
its spot on his robe the heron flies shits on the bed
of language goes fishing in spittle.

someone drives through the night and the word pushes his car
over the edge and his head snaps over the wheel

and the poem lays its floor on
that of reality and begins. it is everything
there is. and its form opens out
and it lets go and happens.

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