Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Charlotte Van den Broeck

a magician saws me in two and opens me up

a magician saws me in two and opens me up
to the audience, my empty trunk revealed after the night, after the battle
in which I became a general and a mortal, lost ground and organs
forgot you because of the trumpets from the parade inside of me
looking back I could already see how you’d take your coat off the rack
a small final gesture, disappointment between your shoulder blades
and still I marched further into the depths, past the submerged rock
where I dissolved in repentance – of course, what else would I dissolve into
if not a groaning sound? it betrays me on stage
everyone looks, I blurt out ‘darling’ and ‘wrong’ and
‘forgive me’, but the applause goes on forever
afterwards no one sews me up

een goochelaar zaagt me in twee stukken en klapt me open

een goochelaar zaagt me in twee stukken en klapt me open
naar het publiek, mijn lege romp onthuld na de nacht, na de slag
waarin ik generaal en sterveling werd, grond en organen verloor
jou vergat door de trompetten van de optocht in mij
bij het achteromkijken al zag ik hoe je je jas van de kapstok zou nemen
een klein finaal gebaar, de teleurgang tussen schouderbladen
en toch gemarcheerd, verder het diepe in, verder dan de blinde klip
daar in inkeer uiteengevallen – natuurlijk, in wat anders
dan in een kermend geluid? het verraadt me op het podium
iedereen kijkt, ik zeg nog ‘liefste’ en ‘weigering’
en ‘vergeef me’, maar het applaus is eindeloos
na afloop word ik niet gehecht
Close

a magician saws me in two and opens me up

a magician saws me in two and opens me up
to the audience, my empty trunk revealed after the night, after the battle
in which I became a general and a mortal, lost ground and organs
forgot you because of the trumpets from the parade inside of me
looking back I could already see how you’d take your coat off the rack
a small final gesture, disappointment between your shoulder blades
and still I marched further into the depths, past the submerged rock
where I dissolved in repentance – of course, what else would I dissolve into
if not a groaning sound? it betrays me on stage
everyone looks, I blurt out ‘darling’ and ‘wrong’ and
‘forgive me’, but the applause goes on forever
afterwards no one sews me up

a magician saws me in two and opens me up

a magician saws me in two and opens me up
to the audience, my empty trunk revealed after the night, after the battle
in which I became a general and a mortal, lost ground and organs
forgot you because of the trumpets from the parade inside of me
looking back I could already see how you’d take your coat off the rack
a small final gesture, disappointment between your shoulder blades
and still I marched further into the depths, past the submerged rock
where I dissolved in repentance – of course, what else would I dissolve into
if not a groaning sound? it betrays me on stage
everyone looks, I blurt out ‘darling’ and ‘wrong’ and
‘forgive me’, but the applause goes on forever
afterwards no one sews me up
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