Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Vaan Nguyen

Culture Stain

Examine before you extract
seeds of nothing by the riverbank
in the village air
and the roads
and so on.

In the horizon, a city begins, a portable
wax poet without a patron
or fanzine.

A rosy sun sets
on a musical Monetbach lake in your eyes—
When we hold each other
you’ll ask where I came from. I’ll say
I came from this rot.
Where did I come from, you’re asking,
I mean, parents?

כתם תרבות

כתם תרבות

תַּחְקֹר לִפְנֵי שֶׁתִּקְטֹף
זְרָעִים שֶׁל הֶבֶל אֵצֶל הַגָּדָה
בְּרוּחַ הכְּפָר
וְהַדְרָּכִים
והְלָאְָה.
בָּאֹפֶק הַכְּנִיסָה לָעִיר, נַיָּד נִשָּׂא
מְשׁוֹרֵר שַׁעֲוָה בְּלִי פַּטְרוֹן
בְּלִי פֶנְזִין.

שֶׁמֶשׁ וְרֻדָּה שׁוֹקַעַת
בְּעֵינֶיךָ אֲגַם מוּזִיקָלִי שֶׁל מוֹנֶהבַּאךְ
כְּשֶׁנִּתְחַבֵּק
תִּשְׁאַל מֵאֵיפֹה בָּאתִי. אָשִׁיב,
בָּאתִי מֵהָרִקָּבוֹן.
מֵאֵיפֹה בָּאתִי, אַתָּה שׁוֹאֵל
כְּלוֹמַר, הַהוֹרִים?
 
Close

Culture Stain

Examine before you extract
seeds of nothing by the riverbank
in the village air
and the roads
and so on.

In the horizon, a city begins, a portable
wax poet without a patron
or fanzine.

A rosy sun sets
on a musical Monetbach lake in your eyes—
When we hold each other
you’ll ask where I came from. I’ll say
I came from this rot.
Where did I come from, you’re asking,
I mean, parents?

Culture Stain

Examine before you extract
seeds of nothing by the riverbank
in the village air
and the roads
and so on.

In the horizon, a city begins, a portable
wax poet without a patron
or fanzine.

A rosy sun sets
on a musical Monetbach lake in your eyes—
When we hold each other
you’ll ask where I came from. I’ll say
I came from this rot.
Where did I come from, you’re asking,
I mean, parents?
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère