Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Marion Poschmann

ANTIQUE

Boulders in cant-style hurtling through space.
Heads of famous men hanging on house walls.
All made of stone. The naval choir singing its song
of the Apocalyse at a volume even hard-of-hearing
veterans can hear. Heads on house walls.
Portrait likeness, free of weeds.

The naval choir sings its song of the German café
and the Russian signpost. Sings of tips pointed towards the
West, half-erected ships and aircraft, front page
evidence, the sun gliding along their hulls and fuselages, parading
daily on city squares for each unenlightened soul out wandering
in the midday sun.

Elsewhere bones and emotional baggage: medals, shells and
boys in uniform. Sentiment, sediment, patriots. What is sedimenting
down in the memory’s layers, and what is resting? Through the shuffle of shoes
of unknown passers-by men are now moving with fishing rods and camouflage gear.
Their collective excess in what feels like green: patch patterns, stripe patterns,
fish paradises.

ANTIEK

Brokken in cant-style zweven door het heelal.
Aan huismuren hangen koppen van beroemde mannen.
Allemaal van steen. Het marinekoor zingt zijn lied
over de Apocalyps, met zulk volume dat ook de
hardhorige veteranen het horen. Koppen aan huismuren.
Konterfeitsel, onkruidvrij.

Het marinekoor zingt zijn lied over het Duitse café
en de Russische wegwijzer. Zingt over naar het Westen gerichte
kanonlopen, half opgerichte schepen en vliegtuigen, voorpagina-
bewijzen, langs de rompen glijdt de zon, dagelijks op
stadspleinen voor iedere onmondige die op den middag wandelt,
parade houdt.

Elders botten en emotioneel spul: medailles, patronen en
jongens in uniform. Sentiment, sediment, patriotten. Wat zet
zich af in het geheugen, wat rust? Door het geschuifel van schoenen
van vreemde voorbijgangers trekken nu mannen met hengel en camouflage.
Hun collectief exces in gevoeld groen: vlekpatronen, streepjespatronen,
visparadijzen.

ANTIK

Brocken im cant-style schweben durchs Weltall.
Köpfe berühmter Männer hängen an Hauswänden.
Alles aus Stein. Der Marinechor singt seinen Song
von der Apokalypse, in einer Lautstärke, die auch die
schwerhörigen Veteranen erreicht. Köpfe an Hauswänden.
Konterfei, unkrautfrei.

Der Marinechor singt seinen Song von dem deutschen Café
und dem russischen Wegweiser. Singt von nach Westen gerichteten
Spitzen, halb aufgerichteten Schiffen und Flugzeugen, Vorderseiten-
beweisen, an deren Rümpfen die Sonne entlanggleitet, täglich auf
Stadtplätzen für jeden Unmündigen, der im Mittage wandelt,
Parade fährt.

Andernorts Knochen und Emotionalien: Orden, Patronen und
Knaben in Uniform. Sentiment, Sediment, Patrioten. Was lagert
sich ab im Gedächtnis, was ruht? Durch das Geschiebe von Schuhen
fremder Passanten ziehen jetzt Männer mit Angel und Tarngepäck.
Ihr kollektiver Exzeß in gefühltem Grün: Fleckmuster, Strichmuster,
Fischparadiese.
Close

ANTIQUE

Boulders in cant-style hurtling through space.
Heads of famous men hanging on house walls.
All made of stone. The naval choir singing its song
of the Apocalyse at a volume even hard-of-hearing
veterans can hear. Heads on house walls.
Portrait likeness, free of weeds.

The naval choir sings its song of the German café
and the Russian signpost. Sings of tips pointed towards the
West, half-erected ships and aircraft, front page
evidence, the sun gliding along their hulls and fuselages, parading
daily on city squares for each unenlightened soul out wandering
in the midday sun.

Elsewhere bones and emotional baggage: medals, shells and
boys in uniform. Sentiment, sediment, patriots. What is sedimenting
down in the memory’s layers, and what is resting? Through the shuffle of shoes
of unknown passers-by men are now moving with fishing rods and camouflage gear.
Their collective excess in what feels like green: patch patterns, stripe patterns,
fish paradises.

ANTIQUE

Boulders in cant-style hurtling through space.
Heads of famous men hanging on house walls.
All made of stone. The naval choir singing its song
of the Apocalyse at a volume even hard-of-hearing
veterans can hear. Heads on house walls.
Portrait likeness, free of weeds.

The naval choir sings its song of the German café
and the Russian signpost. Sings of tips pointed towards the
West, half-erected ships and aircraft, front page
evidence, the sun gliding along their hulls and fuselages, parading
daily on city squares for each unenlightened soul out wandering
in the midday sun.

Elsewhere bones and emotional baggage: medals, shells and
boys in uniform. Sentiment, sediment, patriots. What is sedimenting
down in the memory’s layers, and what is resting? Through the shuffle of shoes
of unknown passers-by men are now moving with fishing rods and camouflage gear.
Their collective excess in what feels like green: patch patterns, stripe patterns,
fish paradises.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère