Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Lies Van Gasse

WE DID EVERYTHING IN REVERSE ORDER

We did everything in reverse order:
your legs fell like branches from the sky,
I drew your arms into my palms

and I took you by the elbows
like a guardian angel.

Then you shrank, breasts and hips disappearing,
your jawline sharpened, and you skipped around in gardens.
You splashed around in a paddling pool, spun around in too-wide a skirt,
walked on Mum’s high heels, your spoon ready to scrape out the cake bowl.

While your hair thinned and disappeared, finally your head grew,
until you became ever rounder and softer, your little eyes blue and new again,
but deeper in their sockets,

and back into me you disappeared.

WE DEDEN ALLES IN OMGEKEERDE VOLGORDE

We deden alles in omgekeerde volgorde:
je benen vielen uit de lucht als takken,
je armen trok ik in mijn palmen

en ik nam je bij de ellebogen vast
als een bewaarengel.

Toen kromp je, verdwenen borsten en heupen,
werd je kaaklijn spichtiger, en sprong je in tuinen rond.
Je ploeterde in een zwembadje, draaide rond in een te wijde rok,
stapte op mama’s hakken, je mond wijd open voor die beslaglepel.

Terwijl je haar fijner werd en verdween, groeide je hoofd ten slotte,
tot je steeds ronder en zachter werd, je oogjes weer blauw en nieuw,
maar dieper in de kassen,

en je weer in mij verdween.
Close

WE DID EVERYTHING IN REVERSE ORDER

We did everything in reverse order:
your legs fell like branches from the sky,
I drew your arms into my palms

and I took you by the elbows
like a guardian angel.

Then you shrank, breasts and hips disappearing,
your jawline sharpened, and you skipped around in gardens.
You splashed around in a paddling pool, spun around in too-wide a skirt,
walked on Mum’s high heels, your spoon ready to scrape out the cake bowl.

While your hair thinned and disappeared, finally your head grew,
until you became ever rounder and softer, your little eyes blue and new again,
but deeper in their sockets,

and back into me you disappeared.

WE DID EVERYTHING IN REVERSE ORDER

We did everything in reverse order:
your legs fell like branches from the sky,
I drew your arms into my palms

and I took you by the elbows
like a guardian angel.

Then you shrank, breasts and hips disappearing,
your jawline sharpened, and you skipped around in gardens.
You splashed around in a paddling pool, spun around in too-wide a skirt,
walked on Mum’s high heels, your spoon ready to scrape out the cake bowl.

While your hair thinned and disappeared, finally your head grew,
until you became ever rounder and softer, your little eyes blue and new again,
but deeper in their sockets,

and back into me you disappeared.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère