Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

William Cliff

Father\'s Sleep

my father often complained of aches and pains
he rubbed his back and yelled and swore
or suddenly crushed by an overwhelming fatigue
he fell asleep like a sack of potatoes anywhere

his legs apart chin on his chest
he slept flattened under the weight of work
and sometimes even at table pushing his plate
with his forehead on his hands he fell asleep

then very gently we removed his napkin
under his forehead and his hands we removed the cutlery
we stealthily cleared the table
on tip-toe we abandoned the room

to let him take all his rest as he should
we left him with his forehead resting on the table
where he slept defeated like a dead animal
but later we heard him shout in the room

he yelled because sleep had deserted him
his body hurt and ached all over
his fingers had left red marks on his skin
he woke up angry: it had been so good

to be so far away from all his cares!
and swearing and grumbling he went to Marie
to the kitchen to drink a cup of black coffee
then he went out he started the car we heard

the tyres on the gravel the fear had ended
we resumed our games our fratricidal wars

DE SLAAP VAN VADER

mijn vader klaagde vroeger dikwijls over spierpijn
hij vloekte luid wreef zich over zijn zere rug
en door oververmoeidheid plotseling gevloerd
viel hij waar hij maar zat als een zoutzak in slaap

wijdbeens onderuit de kin op de borst gezakt
sliep hij als bezweken onder de last van het werk
en zelfs aan tafel soms zijn bord terzijde schuivend
legde hij overmand door slaap het hoofd in de handen

dan trokken wij behoedzaam van onder zijn voorhoofd
van onder zijn handen zijn servet en bestek weg
zo ruimden we zwijgend de hele tafel af
en slopen dan als dieven de woonkamer uit

we lieten hem daar met zijn hoofd op tafel achter
zodat hij ongestoord van zijn rust kon genieten
door diepe slaap geveld als een omgelegd beest
maar hoorden na een tijdje zijn gekreun in de kamer

zodra de slaap hem verliet schreeuwde hij het uit
zijn geradbraakte lijf deed hem overal pijn
zijn huid vertoonde rode moeten van zijn vingers
eenmaal ontwaakt werd hij woedend: het was zo lekker

geweest om al zijn zorgen achter zich te laten
en brommend en vloekend kloste hij naar de keuken
om bij Marietje een slok zwarte koffie te drinken
dan ging hij weg je hoorde hem de wagen starten

de banden op het grind de angst was nu voorbij
en wij zetten ons spel onze broedertwist voort

Le Sommeil du Père

mon père se plaignait souvent de courbatures
il poussait des jurons en se frottant le dos
ou soudain écrasé par excès de fatigue
il tombait en sommeil comme un sac n’importe où

les jambes écartées menton sur la poitrine
il dormait effondré sous le poids du travail
et parfois même à table poussant son assiette
et le front sur ses mains il tombait endormi

alors très doucement nous ôtions sa serviette
sous son front et ses mains nous ôtions le couvert
nous débarrassions la table furtivement
sur la pointe des pieds nous désertions la salle

afin qu’il prenne comme il faut tout son repos
nous le laissions le front appuyé sur la table
où il dormait vaincu comme une bête morte
mais plus tard nous entendions crier dans la salle

il hurlait parce que le sommeil le quittait
son corps courbaturé partout lui faisait mal
ses doigts restaient en marques rouges sur sa peau
il sortait fâché du sommeil: c’était si bon

d’être parti ainsi loin de tous ses soucis!
et jurant maugréant il allait chez Marie
à la cuisine boire un coup de café noir
puis il sortait il démarrait on entendait

les pneus sur le gravier la peur était finie
nous reprenions nos jeux nos guerres fratricides
Close

Father\'s Sleep

my father often complained of aches and pains
he rubbed his back and yelled and swore
or suddenly crushed by an overwhelming fatigue
he fell asleep like a sack of potatoes anywhere

his legs apart chin on his chest
he slept flattened under the weight of work
and sometimes even at table pushing his plate
with his forehead on his hands he fell asleep

then very gently we removed his napkin
under his forehead and his hands we removed the cutlery
we stealthily cleared the table
on tip-toe we abandoned the room

to let him take all his rest as he should
we left him with his forehead resting on the table
where he slept defeated like a dead animal
but later we heard him shout in the room

he yelled because sleep had deserted him
his body hurt and ached all over
his fingers had left red marks on his skin
he woke up angry: it had been so good

to be so far away from all his cares!
and swearing and grumbling he went to Marie
to the kitchen to drink a cup of black coffee
then he went out he started the car we heard

the tyres on the gravel the fear had ended
we resumed our games our fratricidal wars

Father\'s Sleep

my father often complained of aches and pains
he rubbed his back and yelled and swore
or suddenly crushed by an overwhelming fatigue
he fell asleep like a sack of potatoes anywhere

his legs apart chin on his chest
he slept flattened under the weight of work
and sometimes even at table pushing his plate
with his forehead on his hands he fell asleep

then very gently we removed his napkin
under his forehead and his hands we removed the cutlery
we stealthily cleared the table
on tip-toe we abandoned the room

to let him take all his rest as he should
we left him with his forehead resting on the table
where he slept defeated like a dead animal
but later we heard him shout in the room

he yelled because sleep had deserted him
his body hurt and ached all over
his fingers had left red marks on his skin
he woke up angry: it had been so good

to be so far away from all his cares!
and swearing and grumbling he went to Marie
to the kitchen to drink a cup of black coffee
then he went out he started the car we heard

the tyres on the gravel the fear had ended
we resumed our games our fratricidal wars
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