Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Hannah van Binsbergen

Now that everyone is looking over my shoulder

Now that everyone is looking over my shoulder, I can finally start
to grow towards the market. They all know what I am doing
and don’t think much of it: we have allowed the time the postman
chased the poor civilian, the time that the
good postman was a symbol of death
to change into the twilight of a hip planet.
I no longer have to force myself to put on a
face to go outside. All my faces are known,
seen in medical catalogue, discussed in underground
correspondences, tried and tested. I want to get out
but am safe nowhere, my conscience has become something
light now that I always have to see myself and see how
I am seen by others. Since the time when the Post Office was the
emblem of death a lot has been forgotten that should have been
clung onto, now to be read in the living archives spread across
Europe. I push my hand through the letterbox, feeling for the first time
the farewell of my unsent letters.

Nu iedereen met me meekijkt kan ik eindelijk beginnen

Nu iedereen met me meekijkt kan ik eindelijk beginnen
te groeien naar de markt. Ze weten allemaal waar ik mee bezig
ben en vinden het niks: de tijd dat de postbode de arme
burger achternazat, de tijd dat de goede postbode
symbool stond voor de dood, hebben we toegestaan
te transformeren tot de nadagen van een hippe planeet.
Ik hoef mijzelf niet meer te dwingen een gezicht op te
zetten om naar buiten te gaan. Al mijn gezichten zijn bekend,
gezien in medische catalogi, besproken in ondergrondse
correspondenties, beproefd in het gebruik. Ik wil eruit
maar nergens ben ik veilig, mijn geweten is iets lichts
geworden nu ik mijzelf altijd moet zien en zien hoe ik door
iedereen gezien word. Sinds de tijd dat de ptt het embleem
was van de dood is veel vergeten dat herinnerd had moeten
blijven, nu te lezen in de levende archieven verspreid over
Europa. Ik steek mijn hand door de brievenbus, voel voor het eerst
het afscheid van mijn onverstuurde brieven.
Close

Now that everyone is looking over my shoulder

Now that everyone is looking over my shoulder, I can finally start
to grow towards the market. They all know what I am doing
and don’t think much of it: we have allowed the time the postman
chased the poor civilian, the time that the
good postman was a symbol of death
to change into the twilight of a hip planet.
I no longer have to force myself to put on a
face to go outside. All my faces are known,
seen in medical catalogue, discussed in underground
correspondences, tried and tested. I want to get out
but am safe nowhere, my conscience has become something
light now that I always have to see myself and see how
I am seen by others. Since the time when the Post Office was the
emblem of death a lot has been forgotten that should have been
clung onto, now to be read in the living archives spread across
Europe. I push my hand through the letterbox, feeling for the first time
the farewell of my unsent letters.

Now that everyone is looking over my shoulder

Now that everyone is looking over my shoulder, I can finally start
to grow towards the market. They all know what I am doing
and don’t think much of it: we have allowed the time the postman
chased the poor civilian, the time that the
good postman was a symbol of death
to change into the twilight of a hip planet.
I no longer have to force myself to put on a
face to go outside. All my faces are known,
seen in medical catalogue, discussed in underground
correspondences, tried and tested. I want to get out
but am safe nowhere, my conscience has become something
light now that I always have to see myself and see how
I am seen by others. Since the time when the Post Office was the
emblem of death a lot has been forgotten that should have been
clung onto, now to be read in the living archives spread across
Europe. I push my hand through the letterbox, feeling for the first time
the farewell of my unsent letters.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère