Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Jonathan Griffioen

on the summer’s day of frank o’hara

on the summer’s day of frank o’hara, jimmy helen and me in the
red mazda 6 2 6 from 1990 parked in front of the house of a client
playing fireflies made out of dust from the happy jawbone family band

the dashboard curls up in the red mazda 626 from 1990
from which I emerge with jimmy, from which I suddenly jump
I roll through the dark with my resume, my poor resume, it flickers like 
a streetlight, scramble back on my feet and move (in the small space
between successful people, really guys I fell in love with
you, you turned out to be amazing) like a colony of dodos and
I slowly grow accustomed to all your festivities drunk
on mario kart and marx

please don’t doubt me like I’ve been doubted tell me
if we can stand up, are we ready to work? because my head has
turned red from all my fervour and my hands are red like my
head on a table crammed with darth vader’s lightsaber replicas
shortly I’ll be enraptured, I’ll be converted and I’ll no longer be my
belly will be my belly and my back and the dark side, crowning and
membrane forgotten

I have forgotten my belly. you have forgotten my belly
that air we kept inside since puberty, has escaped

op de zomerdag van frank o’hara

op de zomerdag van frank o’hara draaien jimmy helen en ik in de
rode mazda 6 2 6 uit 1990 geparkeerd voor het huis van een klant
fireflies made out of dust van the happy jawbone family band

het dashboard krult op in de rode mazda 6 2 6 uit 1990
waar ik met jimmy uit voortkom waar ik plots uit spring
ik rol door het donker met mijn cv mijn arm cv het hapert
als de straatverlichting ik krabbel op en beweeg (in de kleine ruimte
tussen geslaagde mensen werkelijk jongens ik ben van jullie gaan
houden jullie zijn zo goed gelukt) als een dodokolonie en ik begin
langzaam te wennen aan al jullie vieringen dronken van
mariokart en marx
trek me alsjeblieft niet in twijfel zoals ik in twijfel ben getrokken zeg
me of we op mogen staan gaan we al werken? want mijn hoofd is
rood geworden van de ijver in mij en mijn handen zijn rood als mijn
hoofd op een tafel vol replica’s van darth vaders lichtzwaard
dadelijk ben ik begeesterd ben ik gelovig ben ik niet meer mijn
buik ben ik mijn buik en mijn rug en de dark side kruinen en vliezen
vergeten

ik ben mijn buik vergeten jullie zijn mijn buik vergeten de lucht die
we sinds de puberteit binnenhielden is ontsnapt
Close

on the summer’s day of frank o’hara

on the summer’s day of frank o’hara, jimmy helen and me in the
red mazda 6 2 6 from 1990 parked in front of the house of a client
playing fireflies made out of dust from the happy jawbone family band

the dashboard curls up in the red mazda 626 from 1990
from which I emerge with jimmy, from which I suddenly jump
I roll through the dark with my resume, my poor resume, it flickers like 
a streetlight, scramble back on my feet and move (in the small space
between successful people, really guys I fell in love with
you, you turned out to be amazing) like a colony of dodos and
I slowly grow accustomed to all your festivities drunk
on mario kart and marx

please don’t doubt me like I’ve been doubted tell me
if we can stand up, are we ready to work? because my head has
turned red from all my fervour and my hands are red like my
head on a table crammed with darth vader’s lightsaber replicas
shortly I’ll be enraptured, I’ll be converted and I’ll no longer be my
belly will be my belly and my back and the dark side, crowning and
membrane forgotten

I have forgotten my belly. you have forgotten my belly
that air we kept inside since puberty, has escaped

on the summer’s day of frank o’hara

on the summer’s day of frank o’hara, jimmy helen and me in the
red mazda 6 2 6 from 1990 parked in front of the house of a client
playing fireflies made out of dust from the happy jawbone family band

the dashboard curls up in the red mazda 626 from 1990
from which I emerge with jimmy, from which I suddenly jump
I roll through the dark with my resume, my poor resume, it flickers like 
a streetlight, scramble back on my feet and move (in the small space
between successful people, really guys I fell in love with
you, you turned out to be amazing) like a colony of dodos and
I slowly grow accustomed to all your festivities drunk
on mario kart and marx

please don’t doubt me like I’ve been doubted tell me
if we can stand up, are we ready to work? because my head has
turned red from all my fervour and my hands are red like my
head on a table crammed with darth vader’s lightsaber replicas
shortly I’ll be enraptured, I’ll be converted and I’ll no longer be my
belly will be my belly and my back and the dark side, crowning and
membrane forgotten

I have forgotten my belly. you have forgotten my belly
that air we kept inside since puberty, has escaped
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère