Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Tsead Bruinja

while our hair grows thinner

while our hair grows thinner
and the monkeys laugh in the trees
 
while we keep on having to go up on the roof
to replace the blown-off tiles
 
while our hair grows thinner
and the monkeys in the trees laugh
 
while the doctor sees us more often
in his coughing sniffling waiting room
 
while the monkeys laugh
 
while people die one after the other
and never take their deeds with them
into the grave
 
the monkeys stay young
and laugh
 
while the farts and belches
accompany you everywhere
and your gut and lungs wear out
 
while the sheltered spot
under the trees
tempts you
 
the monkeys laugh
at the fading strength
of your apple-peeling
hands
 
you look at her
or you look at the ground
and all the while
 
the monkeys’ hunger
grows
 
while forgiveness shrivels
and anger only sheds its skin
 
the monkeys laugh
 
and anger stays young

terwijl ons haar dunner wordt

terwijl ons haar dunner wordt
en in de bomen de apen lachen
 
terwijl we steeds vaker het dak op moeten
om de weggewaaide pannen terug te leggen
 
terwijl ons haar dunner wordt
en de apen in de bomen lachen
 
terwijl de dokter ons vaker ziet zitten
in de snotterige en kuchende wachtkamer
 
terwijl de apen lachen
 
terwijl de één na de ander sterft
en zijn daden niet meeneemt
het graf in
 
blijven de apen jong
en lachen
 
terwijl de boeren en scheten
je overal heen vergezellen
en je darmen en longen slijten
 
terwijl het beschutte plekje
onder de bomen
lokt
 
lachen de apen
om de kracht die wegglipt
uit je appelschillende
handen
 
je kijkt haar aan
en je kijkt anders naar de grond
terwijl dit alles
 
wordt de honger van de apen
groter
 
terwijl het vergeven verschrompelt
en woede alleen maar vervelt
 
lachen de apen
 
blijft de woede jong

wylst ús hier tinner wurdt
en yn de beammen de apen laitsje
 
wylst we hieltyd faker it dak op moatte
om de fuortwaaide pannen werom te lizzen
 
wylst ús hier tinner wurdt
en de apen yn de beammen laitsje
 
wylst de dokter ús faker sitten sjocht
yn de snotterige en de kocheljende wachtkeamer
 
wylst de apen laitsje
 
wylst de iene nei de oare stjert
en syn dieden net mei it grêf
yn nimt
 
bliuwe de apen jong
en laitsje
 
wylst it krôkjen en it ôfskiten
dy oeral hinne beselskipje
en de terms en de longen slite
 
wylst it smûke plakje
ûnder de beammen
lokket
 
laitsje de apen
om de kracht dy’t fuortglûpt
út dyn apelskilende
hannen
 
sjochst har oan
sjochst oars nei de grûn
en wylst dit alles
 
wurdt de honger fan de apen
grutter
 
wylst de ferjeffenis ferskronfelet
en lulkens allinnich mar ferfellet
 
laitsje de apen
 
bliuwt de lulkens jong
Close

while our hair grows thinner

while our hair grows thinner
and the monkeys laugh in the trees
 
while we keep on having to go up on the roof
to replace the blown-off tiles
 
while our hair grows thinner
and the monkeys in the trees laugh
 
while the doctor sees us more often
in his coughing sniffling waiting room
 
while the monkeys laugh
 
while people die one after the other
and never take their deeds with them
into the grave
 
the monkeys stay young
and laugh
 
while the farts and belches
accompany you everywhere
and your gut and lungs wear out
 
while the sheltered spot
under the trees
tempts you
 
the monkeys laugh
at the fading strength
of your apple-peeling
hands
 
you look at her
or you look at the ground
and all the while
 
the monkeys’ hunger
grows
 
while forgiveness shrivels
and anger only sheds its skin
 
the monkeys laugh
 
and anger stays young

while our hair grows thinner

while our hair grows thinner
and the monkeys laugh in the trees
 
while we keep on having to go up on the roof
to replace the blown-off tiles
 
while our hair grows thinner
and the monkeys in the trees laugh
 
while the doctor sees us more often
in his coughing sniffling waiting room
 
while the monkeys laugh
 
while people die one after the other
and never take their deeds with them
into the grave
 
the monkeys stay young
and laugh
 
while the farts and belches
accompany you everywhere
and your gut and lungs wear out
 
while the sheltered spot
under the trees
tempts you
 
the monkeys laugh
at the fading strength
of your apple-peeling
hands
 
you look at her
or you look at the ground
and all the while
 
the monkeys’ hunger
grows
 
while forgiveness shrivels
and anger only sheds its skin
 
the monkeys laugh
 
and anger stays young
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère