Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Yanko González

example

They want me to leave like I did not want to leave
So I tell them I am leaving
But by the first
or fifth step
They run after me
so that I iron their air
Dig their ditch
where they must change costumes.

Yesterday was the same
I understood clearly
they want me to leave
That’s what they discussed while I looked after their children.

I played what they played in Upper Volta
For example
The chair is called sink the door sardine
The table plate and the shoes silla
So the children shouted
Yellow
Open for us the sardine.

It was a game and they told me to go
That I had to teach them the words
as they should have been

For example
opening the mouth
is called
laughing.

bijvoorbeeld

Ze willen dat ik wegga alsof ik niet weg zou willen
Dus zeg ik ik ga
Maar al na de eerste stap
of na de vijfde
Rennen ze me achterna
dat ik de lucht voor ze moet strijken
Een greppel voor ze graven
waarlangs hun pakken kunnen paraderen.

Gisteren ging het net zo
Het was volkomen duidelijk
ze willen dat ik wegga
Dat zeiden ze tegen elkaar terwijl ik op hun kinderen paste

Ik speelde een spelletje uit Opper-Volta
Bijvoorbeeld
Je noemt de stoel toilet de deur sardien
De tafel servies en de schoenen zetel
Dus schreeuwden de kinderen
Gele
Doe de sardien eens open.

Het was een spel en ze zeiden dat ik weg moest
Dat ik ze de woorden moest leren
Zoals het hoort

Bijvoorbeeld
je mond opendoen
noem je
lachen.

ejemplo

Quieren que me vaya como si yo no quisiera irme
Entonces les digo me voy
Pero al primer
o quinto paso
Corren a buscarme
para que les planche el aire
Les abra una zanja
donde han de cruzar sus trajes.

Ayer fue lo mismo
Entendí claramente
quieren que me vaya
Eso es lo que se decían mientras cuidaba de sus niños

Yo jugaba a lo que en Alto Volta se jugaba
Ejemplo
La silla se llama lavabo la puerta sardina
La mesa vajilla y los zapatos cadira
Entonces los niños gritaban
Amarillo
Ábrenos la sardina.

Era un juego y dijeron que me fuera
Que tenía que enseñarles las palabras
Como se debían

Ejemplo
abrir la boca
se dice
reír.
Close

example

They want me to leave like I did not want to leave
So I tell them I am leaving
But by the first
or fifth step
They run after me
so that I iron their air
Dig their ditch
where they must change costumes.

Yesterday was the same
I understood clearly
they want me to leave
That’s what they discussed while I looked after their children.

I played what they played in Upper Volta
For example
The chair is called sink the door sardine
The table plate and the shoes silla
So the children shouted
Yellow
Open for us the sardine.

It was a game and they told me to go
That I had to teach them the words
as they should have been

For example
opening the mouth
is called
laughing.

example

They want me to leave like I did not want to leave
So I tell them I am leaving
But by the first
or fifth step
They run after me
so that I iron their air
Dig their ditch
where they must change costumes.

Yesterday was the same
I understood clearly
they want me to leave
That’s what they discussed while I looked after their children.

I played what they played in Upper Volta
For example
The chair is called sink the door sardine
The table plate and the shoes silla
So the children shouted
Yellow
Open for us the sardine.

It was a game and they told me to go
That I had to teach them the words
as they should have been

For example
opening the mouth
is called
laughing.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère