Poem
Marlene van Niekerk
CHAMELEON
1exemplary resignation of the chameleon
so unseen and bereft of grief
on the twig of the japonica
on the twig of the apricot
on the mint
on the wisteria,
with clasping foot and clasping hand,
he roams my yard in every vein of green
unmoved bard of silence
in a remorseless universe,
unrustling ‘neath unfalling stars
he treads on lattices of light and shade
with fastened somewhere in his narrow side
a single chambered, brimming
stained glass little heart
2
fall-out from a rain of comets
he sits on a twig, foliated,
a fire break on both his flanks
his mouth is a mouth of forced observation,
he refuses one foot before the other
he moves when gravity sleeps
he knows he must tumble
through membranes of insight
to different houses of roses
he procrastinates
he camouflages
he holds on to grass
screws flies with a stick of whirly glue
sheds at last begrudgingly scabs of pale skin
in order to resume, ship shape as before,
his endless peregrination.
3
got caught in a scrap
amongst dragons earplates got dented
thumbtied am i
nothing to be done
about the diminished lower lip
about the hacksawn collar
the globe roaming eyes
the heart that beats in the stomach
i see the world with worlds
i am a twig on a twig in the wind
i observe the yearning of many
who pause where I sway
who marvel at my twisted tailpiece
at my outlandish tint
who make a language of their language in my honour
bogey beacon warlord cloud
revelation postman horse
bugger them
my tongue is to tough to translate
my mutilation is my only worth
© Translation: 2013, Marlene van Niekerk
TRAPSUUTJIES
TRAPSUUTJIES
1voorbeeldige gelatenheid van die trapsuutjies
so ongesiens en sonder smart
op die takkie van die japonica
op die takkie van die appelkoos
op die kruisement
op die wisteria
met vasvatvoetjie vasvathand
bestryk hy my tuin in elke trant van groen
onbewoë bard van stilte
in ’n treurlose heelal
ritselloos en sonder sterreval
tree hy oor sparre lig en skaduwee
met êrens in sy smaller kant ‘n vaste
gans vervulde enkelkamerige
gebrandskilderde klein hart
2
gestol uit ‘n reën van komete
sit op ‘n twyg die trapsuutjies geplet
‘n vuurstreep op albei sy flanke
sy mond is ‘n mond van gedwonge aanskouing
hy verseg een voet voor die ander
hy versit as die swaartekrag nie kyk nie
hy weet hy moet val
deur membrane van insig
in verhuisings na volgende rose
hy prokrastineer
hy kamoefleer
hy hou vas aan gras
vang vlieë met ‘n werwelende gomkolom
laat val uiteindelik in wrewel wit vliese
om vaartbelynd verder te perigrineer
3
was betrokke in ‘n skop skiet en donder
van drake my ore is duike
geduimhandskoen ek
niks aan te doen
aan die verminderde onderlip
aan die geradbraakte kraag
en die aardbologies
aan die hart wat klop in my maag
ek sien die wêreld met wêrelde
is ‘n tak op ‘n tak in die wind
beleef die verlange van vele
wat buk waar ek wieg
by die bog in my stert
by my ginderse tint
wat taal van hul taal maak my ter ere
gogga baken here wolk
openbaring posman perd
hulle moer
my tong is te taai om te tolk
ek is net my verminking werd
© 2013, Marlene van Niekerk
Poems
Poems of Marlene van Niekerk
Close
CHAMELEON
1exemplary resignation of the chameleon
so unseen and bereft of grief
on the twig of the japonica
on the twig of the apricot
on the mint
on the wisteria,
with clasping foot and clasping hand,
he roams my yard in every vein of green
unmoved bard of silence
in a remorseless universe,
unrustling ‘neath unfalling stars
he treads on lattices of light and shade
with fastened somewhere in his narrow side
a single chambered, brimming
stained glass little heart
2
fall-out from a rain of comets
he sits on a twig, foliated,
a fire break on both his flanks
his mouth is a mouth of forced observation,
he refuses one foot before the other
he moves when gravity sleeps
he knows he must tumble
through membranes of insight
to different houses of roses
he procrastinates
he camouflages
he holds on to grass
screws flies with a stick of whirly glue
sheds at last begrudgingly scabs of pale skin
in order to resume, ship shape as before,
his endless peregrination.
3
got caught in a scrap
amongst dragons earplates got dented
thumbtied am i
nothing to be done
about the diminished lower lip
about the hacksawn collar
the globe roaming eyes
the heart that beats in the stomach
i see the world with worlds
i am a twig on a twig in the wind
i observe the yearning of many
who pause where I sway
who marvel at my twisted tailpiece
at my outlandish tint
who make a language of their language in my honour
bogey beacon warlord cloud
revelation postman horse
bugger them
my tongue is to tough to translate
my mutilation is my only worth
© 2013, Marlene van Niekerk
CHAMELEON
1exemplary resignation of the chameleon
so unseen and bereft of grief
on the twig of the japonica
on the twig of the apricot
on the mint
on the wisteria,
with clasping foot and clasping hand,
he roams my yard in every vein of green
unmoved bard of silence
in a remorseless universe,
unrustling ‘neath unfalling stars
he treads on lattices of light and shade
with fastened somewhere in his narrow side
a single chambered, brimming
stained glass little heart
2
fall-out from a rain of comets
he sits on a twig, foliated,
a fire break on both his flanks
his mouth is a mouth of forced observation,
he refuses one foot before the other
he moves when gravity sleeps
he knows he must tumble
through membranes of insight
to different houses of roses
he procrastinates
he camouflages
he holds on to grass
screws flies with a stick of whirly glue
sheds at last begrudgingly scabs of pale skin
in order to resume, ship shape as before,
his endless peregrination.
3
got caught in a scrap
amongst dragons earplates got dented
thumbtied am i
nothing to be done
about the diminished lower lip
about the hacksawn collar
the globe roaming eyes
the heart that beats in the stomach
i see the world with worlds
i am a twig on a twig in the wind
i observe the yearning of many
who pause where I sway
who marvel at my twisted tailpiece
at my outlandish tint
who make a language of their language in my honour
bogey beacon warlord cloud
revelation postman horse
bugger them
my tongue is to tough to translate
my mutilation is my only worth
© 2013, Marlene van Niekerk
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