Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Hannah van Binsbergen

FROM THE POINT THAT WAS MADE ALREADY

A fortuitous conversation with a police officer
could proceed as follows:

‘You have the feeling no one takes you seriously.
Can you remember the last time you had this feeling
And can you give it a name?’
‘ . . . ’
‘Lunch break. Okay. Can you think of a word
that could be a solution for this feeling?’
‘ . . . ’
‘Is it easier to imagine the manner in which you’d want
to speak and move if you think of a moment when you
still could, or if you think of someone who speaks and moves
in that manner?’
‘ . . . ’
‘Can you think of Julia’s relaxed movements?”
‘ . . . ’
‘Can you think of how the border is crossed, and what that tells us about the border?’
‘ . . . ’
Can you imagine a perfect love that has transferred itself
from object to subobject to metaphors for the subobject that
can be found anywhere, that opens a window and lets in the cold
of a lifeless universe?’
‘ . . . ’
‘Can you imagine a lifeless object?’

‘……’

there is
after a pause
a small
gathering
where a select
company
true to itself
is invited
to address
the presence that
for some time
has been visible
through the frosted glass
it is possible he is a hammerhead
it is also possible
that he wears a hat
it is certain
that it is the officer
who will let me
explain for myself
why I
just now
crossed
the line.

He gives us the power to resist him
and that is why we so fully trust him
perhaps this is his only power.

From a point that was made already
I trace a line through the city where I live
to the city that was made already in the desire
of destruction.

It is not punishable
to destroy someone in love
there is no surveillance and no injustice

and yet we feel
a line

that makes the love of metaphors
incredibly attractive.

And yet we feel
something very empty
in the dry center
of our daily lives
that has no possible way
of still pleasing us.

An open window to
a rational universe
the reason for fears
of the vagina.

Script may close only the windows that were opened by it

Vanuit het punt dat al eerder gemaakt is

Vanuit het punt dat al eerder gemaakt is

Een voorspoedige conversatie met een agent van de politie
zou als volgt kunnen verlopen: 

'Je hebt het gevoel dat niemand je serieus neemt.
Kun je je de laatste keer dat je dit gevoel had herinneren
en kun je daar een naam aan geven?'
'… '
'Lunchpauze. Oké. Kun je een woord bedenken
dat een oplossing zou kunnen zijn voor dit gevoel?'
'…'
'Is het makkelijker om je de manier voor te stellen waarop je zou willen
spreken en bewegen als je denkt aan een moment waarin je die
nog bezat, of makkelijker als je aan iemand denkt die op die manier
spreekt en beweegt?'
'… '
'Kun je denken aan het ontspannen bewegen van Julia?'
'… '
'Kun je denken aan hoe de grens wordt overschreden, en wat dat zegt over de grens?'
'… '
'Kun je je een voorstelling maken van een volmaakte liefde die zich heeft verplaatst
van object naar deelobject naar metaforen voor het deelobject die zich
overal kunnen bevinden, die een raam openen en de kou van een levenloos
universum binnenlaten?'
'… '
'Kun je je een voorstelling maken van een levenloos object?'

'….... '

er is
na een pauze
een kleine
bijeenkomst
waar een uitgelezen
gezelschap
dat trouw aan zichzelf is
is uitgenodigd
om de aanwezigheid aan
te spreken die
sinds een tijdje
zichtbaar is
door de matte glazen
van de wachtkamer
mogelijk is hij een hamerhaai
mogelijk is ook
dat hij een hoed draagt
het is zeker
dat het de agent is
die me aan mezelf
zal laten uitleggen
waarom ik
zojuist
over de streep
ging.

Hij geeft ons de kracht om hem te weerstaan
en dat is waarom we zo op hem vertrouwen
dit is misschien zijn enige kracht.

Vanuit een punt dat al gemaakt is
trek ik een lijn door de stad waarin ik woon
naar de stad die al gemaakt is in de wens
van de vernieling.

Het is niet strafbaar
iemand te vernielen in de liefde
er is geen toezicht en geen onrecht

en toch voelen we
een lijn

die het liefhebben van metaforen
erg aantrekkelijk maakt.

En toch voelen we
iets heel erg leegs
in het droge midden
van ons dagelijks leven
dat ons op geen enkele manier
nog kan bevredigen.

Een open raam naar
een rationeel universum
de reden voor de angsten
voor de vagina.

Script may close only the windows that were opened by it
Close

FROM THE POINT THAT WAS MADE ALREADY

A fortuitous conversation with a police officer
could proceed as follows:

‘You have the feeling no one takes you seriously.
Can you remember the last time you had this feeling
And can you give it a name?’
‘ . . . ’
‘Lunch break. Okay. Can you think of a word
that could be a solution for this feeling?’
‘ . . . ’
‘Is it easier to imagine the manner in which you’d want
to speak and move if you think of a moment when you
still could, or if you think of someone who speaks and moves
in that manner?’
‘ . . . ’
‘Can you think of Julia’s relaxed movements?”
‘ . . . ’
‘Can you think of how the border is crossed, and what that tells us about the border?’
‘ . . . ’
Can you imagine a perfect love that has transferred itself
from object to subobject to metaphors for the subobject that
can be found anywhere, that opens a window and lets in the cold
of a lifeless universe?’
‘ . . . ’
‘Can you imagine a lifeless object?’

‘……’

there is
after a pause
a small
gathering
where a select
company
true to itself
is invited
to address
the presence that
for some time
has been visible
through the frosted glass
it is possible he is a hammerhead
it is also possible
that he wears a hat
it is certain
that it is the officer
who will let me
explain for myself
why I
just now
crossed
the line.

He gives us the power to resist him
and that is why we so fully trust him
perhaps this is his only power.

From a point that was made already
I trace a line through the city where I live
to the city that was made already in the desire
of destruction.

It is not punishable
to destroy someone in love
there is no surveillance and no injustice

and yet we feel
a line

that makes the love of metaphors
incredibly attractive.

And yet we feel
something very empty
in the dry center
of our daily lives
that has no possible way
of still pleasing us.

An open window to
a rational universe
the reason for fears
of the vagina.

Script may close only the windows that were opened by it

FROM THE POINT THAT WAS MADE ALREADY

A fortuitous conversation with a police officer
could proceed as follows:

‘You have the feeling no one takes you seriously.
Can you remember the last time you had this feeling
And can you give it a name?’
‘ . . . ’
‘Lunch break. Okay. Can you think of a word
that could be a solution for this feeling?’
‘ . . . ’
‘Is it easier to imagine the manner in which you’d want
to speak and move if you think of a moment when you
still could, or if you think of someone who speaks and moves
in that manner?’
‘ . . . ’
‘Can you think of Julia’s relaxed movements?”
‘ . . . ’
‘Can you think of how the border is crossed, and what that tells us about the border?’
‘ . . . ’
Can you imagine a perfect love that has transferred itself
from object to subobject to metaphors for the subobject that
can be found anywhere, that opens a window and lets in the cold
of a lifeless universe?’
‘ . . . ’
‘Can you imagine a lifeless object?’

‘……’

there is
after a pause
a small
gathering
where a select
company
true to itself
is invited
to address
the presence that
for some time
has been visible
through the frosted glass
it is possible he is a hammerhead
it is also possible
that he wears a hat
it is certain
that it is the officer
who will let me
explain for myself
why I
just now
crossed
the line.

He gives us the power to resist him
and that is why we so fully trust him
perhaps this is his only power.

From a point that was made already
I trace a line through the city where I live
to the city that was made already in the desire
of destruction.

It is not punishable
to destroy someone in love
there is no surveillance and no injustice

and yet we feel
a line

that makes the love of metaphors
incredibly attractive.

And yet we feel
something very empty
in the dry center
of our daily lives
that has no possible way
of still pleasing us.

An open window to
a rational universe
the reason for fears
of the vagina.

Script may close only the windows that were opened by it
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