Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Marion Poschmann

COLORFUL

Children sloshing, tea in cups, in their parents’ hands.
Underhandedly the love of the fatherland grows cold, exercises the
art of guardianship, power over words, conversations with the dead. Prescribes
recreation: on every streetlight a loudspeaker.
It’s still the same: all state public holidays
are spent in the park.

Sanitary green. Zones of influence for urban forests. Air hygiene.
The durability of a park depends on turbidity.
Deco-green. Planting programme. Bouncy castle with penguins.
Plastic trees glittering in the pleasure sector, and once more
what is seen is greater than what is thought. Masked animals in
elegies. Elites. Elysium.

Attached to the arms of small girls
rabbit and princess balloons come before an
unreally powerful something called common sense,
red stars spin and dive, urging to the sun. On the long string
a tank, very shiny, original thought bobbing
at the height of the bushes.

BONT

Kinderen zwalpen, thee in kopjes, aan de hand van hun ouders.
Stiekem bekoelt de vaderlandsliefde, oefent zich
in oppaskunde, meesterschap over de taal, dodengesprekken. Geeft bevel
zich te ontspannen: aan elke lantaarnpaal een luidspreker.
Nog steeds geldt: alle feestdagen van staatswege
breng je in het park door.

Sanitair groen. Invloedzones voor stadsbossen. Luchthygiëne.
De houdbaarheid van een park hangt van de troebelheid af.
Decoratiegroen. Plantprogramma. Springkasteel met pinguïns.
Plastic bomen blinken in het amusementskwartier, en weer
is wat je ziet groter dan wat je dacht. Gemaskerde dieren in
elegieën. Elites. Elysium.

Aan de arm van kleine meisjes geknoopt zweven
ballonnen in de vorm van konijnen of prinsessen voor een
onwerkelijk kolossaal iets dat gezond verstand heet,
dwarrelen rode, naar de zon dringende sterren. Aan de lange draad
een tank, heel blank, een oorspronkelijke gedachte die ter hoogte van
de struiken danst.

BUNT

Kinder schwappen, Tee in Tassen, an der Elternhand.
Unter der Hand erkaltet die Liebe des Vaterlands, übt sich
in Hütekunst, Wortgewalt, Totengesprächen. Verordnet
Erholung: an jeder Laterne ein Lautsprecher.
Immer noch gilt: alle staatlichen Feiertage
verbringt man im Park.

Sanitäres Grün. Einflußzonen für Stadtwälder. Lufthygiene.
Die Haltbarkeit eines Parks hängt ab von der Trübung.
Dekogrün. Pflanzprogramm. Hüpfburg mit Pinguinen.
Plastikbäume glitzern im Vergnügungssektor, und wieder
ist das Gesehene größer als das Gedachte. Maskierte Tiere in
Elegien. Eliten. Elysium.

Geknüpft an den Arm kleiner Mädchen ziehen
Kaninchen-, Prinzessinnenluftballons vor einem
unwirklich mächtigen Etwas mit Namen gesunde Vernunft,
trudeln rote, zur Sonne drängende Sterne. Am langen Faden
ein Panzer, sehr blank, Originalgedanke, der auf der Höhe
der Büsche tanzt.
Close

COLORFUL

Children sloshing, tea in cups, in their parents’ hands.
Underhandedly the love of the fatherland grows cold, exercises the
art of guardianship, power over words, conversations with the dead. Prescribes
recreation: on every streetlight a loudspeaker.
It’s still the same: all state public holidays
are spent in the park.

Sanitary green. Zones of influence for urban forests. Air hygiene.
The durability of a park depends on turbidity.
Deco-green. Planting programme. Bouncy castle with penguins.
Plastic trees glittering in the pleasure sector, and once more
what is seen is greater than what is thought. Masked animals in
elegies. Elites. Elysium.

Attached to the arms of small girls
rabbit and princess balloons come before an
unreally powerful something called common sense,
red stars spin and dive, urging to the sun. On the long string
a tank, very shiny, original thought bobbing
at the height of the bushes.

COLORFUL

Children sloshing, tea in cups, in their parents’ hands.
Underhandedly the love of the fatherland grows cold, exercises the
art of guardianship, power over words, conversations with the dead. Prescribes
recreation: on every streetlight a loudspeaker.
It’s still the same: all state public holidays
are spent in the park.

Sanitary green. Zones of influence for urban forests. Air hygiene.
The durability of a park depends on turbidity.
Deco-green. Planting programme. Bouncy castle with penguins.
Plastic trees glittering in the pleasure sector, and once more
what is seen is greater than what is thought. Masked animals in
elegies. Elites. Elysium.

Attached to the arms of small girls
rabbit and princess balloons come before an
unreally powerful something called common sense,
red stars spin and dive, urging to the sun. On the long string
a tank, very shiny, original thought bobbing
at the height of the bushes.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère