Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Marije Langelaar

Bird

In the bird itself
everything seemed equally worthless
 
it was strangely equivalent to
crawling into a glove
 
no trace of the heroic
 
of course sometimes lifted up
and the beak opens and the beak closes
(light streaming in)
 
repeatedly singing the national anthem
(masterly vibration)
 
(branches full of ruttish boys)
 
after a week floatingsick deaf from blaring
and addled from the egg that had started to grow
next to my head pulled on the handle
 
chucked onto the roof

Vogel

Vogel

In de vogel zelf
leek alles even waardeloos
 
’t kwam eigenaardig overeen met in
een handschoen kruipen
 
niks van dat heroïsche
 
welja soms opgetild
en bek gaat open bek gaat dicht
(binnenvallend licht)
 
herhaaldelijk het volkslied fluiten
(meesterlijke trilling)
 
(takken vol bronstige jongens)
 
na een week zweefziek doof van getetter
en murw van het ei dat naast mijn hoofd was
gaan groeien aan de hendel getrokken
 
het dak op gekwakt
Close

Bird

In the bird itself
everything seemed equally worthless
 
it was strangely equivalent to
crawling into a glove
 
no trace of the heroic
 
of course sometimes lifted up
and the beak opens and the beak closes
(light streaming in)
 
repeatedly singing the national anthem
(masterly vibration)
 
(branches full of ruttish boys)
 
after a week floatingsick deaf from blaring
and addled from the egg that had started to grow
next to my head pulled on the handle
 
chucked onto the roof

Bird

In the bird itself
everything seemed equally worthless
 
it was strangely equivalent to
crawling into a glove
 
no trace of the heroic
 
of course sometimes lifted up
and the beak opens and the beak closes
(light streaming in)
 
repeatedly singing the national anthem
(masterly vibration)
 
(branches full of ruttish boys)
 
after a week floatingsick deaf from blaring
and addled from the egg that had started to grow
next to my head pulled on the handle
 
chucked onto the roof
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