Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Joost Baars

anti-bird, mechanical american,

anti-bird, mechanical american,   
you, without a name in my tongue,  
    
how come when I look at you I see myself 
as a desert-dweller    

whilst hovering above the city
where I live, you

reduce to sand,     
powerful hand     

taker of lives
where there is hardly any water,

from this water-land
I address you thirstily,

you don’t answer, extension
of what is less nameless

all the more undetectable   
and therefore as monopolic as    

death, where is your bzzzzzzz

when I close the curtains, turn off
the light tonight, which makes me sleep-

less, to all appearances recover
for yet another day

being of value in this desert-
economy, which you,

demiurge, high up
above us, grains, create and oversee?

antivogel, jij met in mijn taal geen naam,

antivogel, jij met in mijn taal geen naam,
mechanische amerikaan,

hoe komt het dat ik mij als ik jou zie
woestijnbewoner waan,

en jij de stad waarin ik leef
erboven zwevend

reduceert tot zand,
machtige hand

die levens neemt
waar weinig tot geen

water is, ik richt mij
dorstig in dit waterland

tot jou, je antwoordt niet,
extensie van wat minder naamloos

des te meer onzichtbaar is
en daarom monopolisch als de

dood, waar is je bzzzzzzz

als ik vanavond mijn gordijnen sluit,
het licht, wat slapeloos maakt uit–

schakel, herstellen op het oog
voor weer een dag

van waarde zijn in de woestijnseconomie,
die jij daar,

demiurg, zo hoog
boven ons, korrels, schept en overziet?
Close

anti-bird, mechanical american,

anti-bird, mechanical american,   
you, without a name in my tongue,  
    
how come when I look at you I see myself 
as a desert-dweller    

whilst hovering above the city
where I live, you

reduce to sand,     
powerful hand     

taker of lives
where there is hardly any water,

from this water-land
I address you thirstily,

you don’t answer, extension
of what is less nameless

all the more undetectable   
and therefore as monopolic as    

death, where is your bzzzzzzz

when I close the curtains, turn off
the light tonight, which makes me sleep-

less, to all appearances recover
for yet another day

being of value in this desert-
economy, which you,

demiurge, high up
above us, grains, create and oversee?

anti-bird, mechanical american,

anti-bird, mechanical american,   
you, without a name in my tongue,  
    
how come when I look at you I see myself 
as a desert-dweller    

whilst hovering above the city
where I live, you

reduce to sand,     
powerful hand     

taker of lives
where there is hardly any water,

from this water-land
I address you thirstily,

you don’t answer, extension
of what is less nameless

all the more undetectable   
and therefore as monopolic as    

death, where is your bzzzzzzz

when I close the curtains, turn off
the light tonight, which makes me sleep-

less, to all appearances recover
for yet another day

being of value in this desert-
economy, which you,

demiurge, high up
above us, grains, create and oversee?
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