Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Sergio Raimondi

WHAT IS THE SEA

The sweep of a trawler net across the length of the bed, 
mesh at maximum, in the tank seven hundred thousand
litres of diesel, down below bags of potatoes and onions, 
shifts of thirty-five hours, sleep for four, some coffee, 
agreements signed in offices in Brussels, increasing
illex squid in proportion to the water temperature 
and the approvals signed in the Supreme Court, circuit 
of stainless steel channels where the catch falls, 
pollock, hake, permit transfers with the support
of the Ministry of Farming and Fisheries; there: 
the fishing boat crosses the imaginary parallel, goes
after a stain on the screen of the detector machine,
the shoal ignorant of the notion of miles or charter, 
of the made-up Fisheries Institute stats or the gap 
between wages and cost of living since the year 1992,
long-tailed hake fillet, Seamen’s Union and rattail, 
faked credit letters, lamps and Asian flag of convenience, 
outbreak of foot and mouth in British herds, hoki, 
chuck back to the very depths tons of dead cuttlefish
when langoustine (five times greater value) appears, 
storage infrastructure and cold, fishing ground, that.

WAT IS DE ZEE

Het trekken van een sleepnet over de bodem van de zee,
maximale maaswijdte, in de tank zevenhonderdduizend
liter diesel, in het vrachtruim zakken aardappels en ui,
diensten van vijfendertig uur, vier uur slaap, koffie,
in Brusselse kantoren gesloten verdragen, toename
van de pijlinktvis in relatie tot de watertemperatuur
en besluiten van de Hoge Raad, een roestvrijstalen
buizenstelsel waar de vangst doorheen glijdt, heek, 
koningsklip, vergunningsoverdrachten met instemming 
van het Ministerie voor Landbouw, Veeteelt en Visserij; daar:
de vissersboot passeert de denkbeeldige breedtegraad, gaat 
een vlek op het scherm van het detectieapparaat achterna,
de school niets vermoedend van noties als mijl of concessie,
van de irreële statistieken van het Visserijinstituut of het gat 
tussen loon en levensonderhoud sinds negentientweeën-
negentig, Patagonische grenadiersfilet, vakbond, rattenstaart, 
vervalste creditcards, lampen en Aziatische gelegenheidsvlag,
uitbraak van mond- en klauwzeer onder Brits vee, hoki, 
terugkeer naar de zeebodem van tonnen dode inktvis 
wanneer de rode garnaal verschijnt (waarde vijf maal hoger), 
infrastructuur voor opslag en koeling, visgrond, dat.

QUÉ ES EL MAR

El barrido de una red de arrastre a lo largo del lecho, 
mallas de apertura máxima, en el tanque setecientos mil 
litros de gas-oil, en la bodega bolsas de papa y cebolla, 
jornada de treinta y cinco horas, sueño de cuatro, café, 
acuerdos pactados en oficinas de Bruselas, crecimiento
del calamar illex en relación a la temperatura del agua
y las firmas de aprobación de la Corte Suprema, circuito
de canales de acero inoxidable por donde el pescado cae,
abadejo, hubbsi, transferencias de permiso amparadas 
por la Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería y Pesca; ahí:
atraviesa el fresquero la línea imaginaria del paralelo, va
tras una mancha en la pantalla del equipo de detección,
ignorante el cardumen de la noción de millas o charteo, 
de las estadísticas irreales del INIDEP o el desfasaje 
entre jornal y costo de vida desde el año mil novecientos
noventa y dos, filet de merluza de cola, SOMU y pez rata,
cartas de crédito adulteradas, lámparas y asiático pabellón,
irrupción de brotes de aftosa en rodeos británicos, hoki,
retorno a lo más hondo de toneladas de pota muerta
ante la aparición de langostino (valor cinco veces mayor),
infraestructura de almacenamiento y frío, caladero, eso.
Close

WHAT IS THE SEA

The sweep of a trawler net across the length of the bed, 
mesh at maximum, in the tank seven hundred thousand
litres of diesel, down below bags of potatoes and onions, 
shifts of thirty-five hours, sleep for four, some coffee, 
agreements signed in offices in Brussels, increasing
illex squid in proportion to the water temperature 
and the approvals signed in the Supreme Court, circuit 
of stainless steel channels where the catch falls, 
pollock, hake, permit transfers with the support
of the Ministry of Farming and Fisheries; there: 
the fishing boat crosses the imaginary parallel, goes
after a stain on the screen of the detector machine,
the shoal ignorant of the notion of miles or charter, 
of the made-up Fisheries Institute stats or the gap 
between wages and cost of living since the year 1992,
long-tailed hake fillet, Seamen’s Union and rattail, 
faked credit letters, lamps and Asian flag of convenience, 
outbreak of foot and mouth in British herds, hoki, 
chuck back to the very depths tons of dead cuttlefish
when langoustine (five times greater value) appears, 
storage infrastructure and cold, fishing ground, that.

WHAT IS THE SEA

The sweep of a trawler net across the length of the bed, 
mesh at maximum, in the tank seven hundred thousand
litres of diesel, down below bags of potatoes and onions, 
shifts of thirty-five hours, sleep for four, some coffee, 
agreements signed in offices in Brussels, increasing
illex squid in proportion to the water temperature 
and the approvals signed in the Supreme Court, circuit 
of stainless steel channels where the catch falls, 
pollock, hake, permit transfers with the support
of the Ministry of Farming and Fisheries; there: 
the fishing boat crosses the imaginary parallel, goes
after a stain on the screen of the detector machine,
the shoal ignorant of the notion of miles or charter, 
of the made-up Fisheries Institute stats or the gap 
between wages and cost of living since the year 1992,
long-tailed hake fillet, Seamen’s Union and rattail, 
faked credit letters, lamps and Asian flag of convenience, 
outbreak of foot and mouth in British herds, hoki, 
chuck back to the very depths tons of dead cuttlefish
when langoustine (five times greater value) appears, 
storage infrastructure and cold, fishing ground, that.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère