Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Ruth Lasters

WAY THROUGH

Doors too should start paying
their way. To record strictly how often they are opened-shut each week, how
many times we charged through and back. To see if
they’re doorworthy and if not: seal them shut. Till it is said

a hundred times: ‘I could have sworn that only yesterday’ –
Then, it would be reopened, you’d see advertising signs
everywhere saying Way Through! Door! and on one side of the door

a field of fake poppies would be planted and on the other a
plastic bench on which sat a woman, a man that
– I wished in vain – only looked like
us. Us with a margin of error.

DOORGANG

DOORGANG

Ook deuren moesten maar eens gaan
renderen. Hun hoeveel open-toe per week, hoeveel
er druk door heen en terug, streng geregistreerd. Of ze
deurwaardig dus zijn en zo niet: dichtgeplakt. Tot honderd

keer gezegd is: ‘Ik had kunnen zweren dat hier gisteren nog –
Dán werd ze opengedaan weer, zag je reclameborden
overal met Doorgang! Deur! en aan de ene deurkant werd

een stoffen klaproosveld geplant en aan de andere een
plastic bank waarop een vrouw, een man van wie
ik wenste tevergeefs dat ze alleen hardnekkig op ons
leken. Wij met een foutmarge.
Close

WAY THROUGH

Doors too should start paying
their way. To record strictly how often they are opened-shut each week, how
many times we charged through and back. To see if
they’re doorworthy and if not: seal them shut. Till it is said

a hundred times: ‘I could have sworn that only yesterday’ –
Then, it would be reopened, you’d see advertising signs
everywhere saying Way Through! Door! and on one side of the door

a field of fake poppies would be planted and on the other a
plastic bench on which sat a woman, a man that
– I wished in vain – only looked like
us. Us with a margin of error.

WAY THROUGH

Doors too should start paying
their way. To record strictly how often they are opened-shut each week, how
many times we charged through and back. To see if
they’re doorworthy and if not: seal them shut. Till it is said

a hundred times: ‘I could have sworn that only yesterday’ –
Then, it would be reopened, you’d see advertising signs
everywhere saying Way Through! Door! and on one side of the door

a field of fake poppies would be planted and on the other a
plastic bench on which sat a woman, a man that
– I wished in vain – only looked like
us. Us with a margin of error.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère