Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Gerrit Kouwenaar

Still Life

Got up early one winter, heaven, how frankly
neighborly and ugly this birth is, skin
between inside and out, froth between yester
and later, one shaves up one’s father

making tea the glass escapes one, sipping
embitters the sugar, one does shower, boils egg
poses for the daylight, still life with eater

now, evening, one’s hidden the shards, luck
not to be lasted out, pencil deaf as a dummy, even
the ink needs writing over, sluggish the grumbling haste
of what one made when living –

STILLEVEN

STILLEVEN

Een winter vroeg opgestaan, hemel, hoe eerlijk
meelevend en lelijk is deze geboorte, huid
tussen binnen en buiten, schuim tussen gister
en later, men scheert zich zijn vader

thee zettend ontvalt men het glas, drinkend
verbittert de suiker, men doucht zich, kookt ei
poseert voor het daglicht, stilleven met eter

nu, avond, heeft men de scherven verstoken, geluk
is niet te verduren, het potlood potdoof, zelfs
de inkt moet herschreven, traag mort de haast
van het maaksel toen men nog leefde –
Close

Still Life

Got up early one winter, heaven, how frankly
neighborly and ugly this birth is, skin
between inside and out, froth between yester
and later, one shaves up one’s father

making tea the glass escapes one, sipping
embitters the sugar, one does shower, boils egg
poses for the daylight, still life with eater

now, evening, one’s hidden the shards, luck
not to be lasted out, pencil deaf as a dummy, even
the ink needs writing over, sluggish the grumbling haste
of what one made when living –

Still Life

Got up early one winter, heaven, how frankly
neighborly and ugly this birth is, skin
between inside and out, froth between yester
and later, one shaves up one’s father

making tea the glass escapes one, sipping
embitters the sugar, one does shower, boils egg
poses for the daylight, still life with eater

now, evening, one’s hidden the shards, luck
not to be lasted out, pencil deaf as a dummy, even
the ink needs writing over, sluggish the grumbling haste
of what one made when living –
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