Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Nachoem M. Wijnberg

EXACTLY THAT MUCH

Waving a beggar aside, but still giving him what he’s asking for
               if he stays standing in front of me, exactly that much!

I give him money to buy drink, but five minutes later he’s again standing in front of me
               and asking, before he recognises me, for exactly that much!

When he speaks to me I smell that he doesn’t smell of drink,
               and no, he’s not getting money from me a second time, exactly that much!

Making myself come, when I’m far away from where I want to sleep,
               not asking someone, for exactly that much!

Asking whether I can remember something I used to really want and don’t anymore,
               if I’m honest I can’t think of anything, I still want it, exactly that much.

Asking whether I think it would help me if I didn’t want something anymore, it wasn’t that much,
               it’s not that it would help me to want less and less, it’s not that much.

You can cut the heart out of my body if you say that that is what I owe you, exactly that much,
               I didn’t make that up, I got it from an old Jew, he said I could use it as I liked, exactly that much.

PRECIES ZOVEEL

PRECIES ZOVEEL

Een bedelaar wegwuiven, maar toch geven waarom hij vraagt
                 als hij voor mij blijft staan, precies zoveel!

Ik geef hem geld om drank te kopen, maar vijf minuten later staat hij weer voor mij
                 en vraagt, voordat hij mij herkent, om precies zoveel!

Als hij tegen mij spreekt ruik ik dat hij niet naar drank ruikt,
                 en nee, hij krijgt geen tweede keer geld van mij, precies zoveel!

Mijzelf laten klaarkomen, als ik ver weg ben van waar ik wil slapen,
                 niet iemand vragen, om precies zoveel!

Of ik mij iets kan herinneren wat ik vroeger echt wilde en nu niet meer,
                 als ik eerlijk ben kan ik niets bedenken, ik wil het nog steeds, precies zoveel.

Of ik denk dat het mij zou helpen als ik iets niet meer wilde, zoveel was het niet,
                 het is niet dat het mij zou helpen steeds minder te willen, zoveel is het niet.

Je kan mijn hart uit mijn lichaam snijden als je zegt dat dat is wat ik je schuldig ben, precies zoveel,
                 dat heb ik niet bedacht, ik heb het van een oude Jood, die zei dat ik er mee kon doen wat ik wilde, precies zoveel.
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EXACTLY THAT MUCH

Waving a beggar aside, but still giving him what he’s asking for
               if he stays standing in front of me, exactly that much!

I give him money to buy drink, but five minutes later he’s again standing in front of me
               and asking, before he recognises me, for exactly that much!

When he speaks to me I smell that he doesn’t smell of drink,
               and no, he’s not getting money from me a second time, exactly that much!

Making myself come, when I’m far away from where I want to sleep,
               not asking someone, for exactly that much!

Asking whether I can remember something I used to really want and don’t anymore,
               if I’m honest I can’t think of anything, I still want it, exactly that much.

Asking whether I think it would help me if I didn’t want something anymore, it wasn’t that much,
               it’s not that it would help me to want less and less, it’s not that much.

You can cut the heart out of my body if you say that that is what I owe you, exactly that much,
               I didn’t make that up, I got it from an old Jew, he said I could use it as I liked, exactly that much.

EXACTLY THAT MUCH

Waving a beggar aside, but still giving him what he’s asking for
               if he stays standing in front of me, exactly that much!

I give him money to buy drink, but five minutes later he’s again standing in front of me
               and asking, before he recognises me, for exactly that much!

When he speaks to me I smell that he doesn’t smell of drink,
               and no, he’s not getting money from me a second time, exactly that much!

Making myself come, when I’m far away from where I want to sleep,
               not asking someone, for exactly that much!

Asking whether I can remember something I used to really want and don’t anymore,
               if I’m honest I can’t think of anything, I still want it, exactly that much.

Asking whether I think it would help me if I didn’t want something anymore, it wasn’t that much,
               it’s not that it would help me to want less and less, it’s not that much.

You can cut the heart out of my body if you say that that is what I owe you, exactly that much,
               I didn’t make that up, I got it from an old Jew, he said I could use it as I liked, exactly that much.
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