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Poem

Russel Edson

The large thing

Het grote ding

Er komt een groot ding binnen.
Naar buiten, Groot Ding, zegt iemand.
Het Grote Ding gaat naar buiten, en komt weer binnen.
Naar buiten, Groot Ding, en blijf daar, zegt iemand.
Het Grote Ding gaat naar buiten en blijft daar.
Dan begint diezelfde iemand die het Grote Ding naar buiten heeft gestuurd, zich eenzaam te voelen, en zegt, kom binnen, Groot Ding.
Maar als het Grote Ding binnen is, besluit diezelfde iemand dat het toch beter zou zijn als het Grote Ding naar buiten zou gaan.
Naar buiten, Groot Ding, zegt diezelfde iemand.
O, waarom zeg ik dat nou? zegt de iemand, die zich weer eenzaam begint te voelen.
Maar ondertussen is het Grote Ding even goed weer binnen gekomen.
Maar, ik zou je net weer terugroepen, zegt diezelfde iemand tegen het Grote Ding.

The large thing

A large thing comes in.
Go out, Large Thing, says someone.
The Large Thing goes out, and comes in again.
Go out, Large Thing, and stay out, says someone.
The Large Thing goes out, and stays out.
Then that same someone who has been ordering the Large Thing out
begins to be lonely, and says, come in, Large Thing.
But when the Large Thing is in, that same someone decides it would be
better if the Large Thing would go out.
Go out, Large Thing, says this same someone.
The Large Thing goes out.
Oh, why did I say that? says the someone, who begins to be lonely again.
But meanwhile the Large Thing has come back in anyway.
Good, I was just about to call you back, says the same someone to the Large Thing.
Russel Edson

Russel Edson

(United States of America, 1935)

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The large thing

A large thing comes in.
Go out, Large Thing, says someone.
The Large Thing goes out, and comes in again.
Go out, Large Thing, and stay out, says someone.
The Large Thing goes out, and stays out.
Then that same someone who has been ordering the Large Thing out
begins to be lonely, and says, come in, Large Thing.
But when the Large Thing is in, that same someone decides it would be
better if the Large Thing would go out.
Go out, Large Thing, says this same someone.
The Large Thing goes out.
Oh, why did I say that? says the someone, who begins to be lonely again.
But meanwhile the Large Thing has come back in anyway.
Good, I was just about to call you back, says the same someone to the Large Thing.

The large thing

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Gemeente Rotterdam
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