Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Laura Accerboni

At school

At school
the girls
line up
according to the height
of their elbows.
It’s a new rule.
The mothers
outside
fill their shopping bags
with rocks
and hide
the receipts between their lips.
They each have a number
that identifies the birth,
that distinguishes ‘proper birth’
from ‘a proper distance.’
At home
the girls
drink lots of water
and dream
of strong elbows
to grapple with
as in a war.
Those who survive
get a snack.
The others race to the bathroom
to reflect
on their loss.

Op school

Op school
gaan de meisjes
in de rij staan
volgens de hoogte
van hun ellebogen.
Dat is een nieuwe regel.
De moeders
bij de uitgang
vullen hun boodschappentassen
met stenen
en verbergen
de kassabonnen tussen hun lippen.
Ze hebben allemaal een nummer
dat hun geboorte onthult,
dat ‘rechtmatige geboorte’ scheidt
van die ‘op rechtmatige afstand’.
Thuis
gieten de meisjes
zich vol water
en dromen
van sterke ellebogen
om zich erdoor te knokken
net als in een oorlog.
Wie het redt
neemt een boterham,
de anderen in looppas naar de wc
om na te denken
over hun verlies.

A scuola
le bambine
si dispongono
in base all’altezza
dei loro gomiti.
E’ una nuova regola.
Le mamme
all’uscita
riempiono di sassi
i sacchetti della spesa
e nascondono
gli scontrini tra le labbra.
Hanno tutte un numero
che identifica la nascita,
che separa “nascita giusta”
da quella “a giusta distanza”.
A casa
le bambine
si riempiono d’acqua
e sognano
forti gomiti
da scavalcare
come in una guerra.
Chi sopravvive
fa merenda,
le altre di corsa in bagno
a riflettere
sulla perdita.
Close

At school

At school
the girls
line up
according to the height
of their elbows.
It’s a new rule.
The mothers
outside
fill their shopping bags
with rocks
and hide
the receipts between their lips.
They each have a number
that identifies the birth,
that distinguishes ‘proper birth’
from ‘a proper distance.’
At home
the girls
drink lots of water
and dream
of strong elbows
to grapple with
as in a war.
Those who survive
get a snack.
The others race to the bathroom
to reflect
on their loss.

At school

At school
the girls
line up
according to the height
of their elbows.
It’s a new rule.
The mothers
outside
fill their shopping bags
with rocks
and hide
the receipts between their lips.
They each have a number
that identifies the birth,
that distinguishes ‘proper birth’
from ‘a proper distance.’
At home
the girls
drink lots of water
and dream
of strong elbows
to grapple with
as in a war.
Those who survive
get a snack.
The others race to the bathroom
to reflect
on their loss.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère