Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Lieke Marsman

The following scan will last four minutes

Before you sink away
into the morphinesweet unreality of the everyday
we would like to say something
about those spasms and fasciculations of yours
as well as that bump on your back

For years you have no doubt
been googling every freckle. Just recently
you were at the doctor’s with a patch
of dry skin on your leg
Diagnosis: too much shower gel
But on hearing the word chondrosarcoma
you went home and immediately unplugged your router
Do you know where your priorities lie?

Do you know what life has to offer
or did those endless therapy sessions
and that eight-week mindfulness course
simply teach you how to tolerate suffering
that every signal in your body
can be temporarily expelled
to the rhythm of some breathing exercise?
Let the pain be
To be free is to be free of need


Wrong
To be free is to need some fresh air
and to be able to get up and go outside

Don’t say we didn’t warn you

De volgende scan duurt vier minuten

De volgende scan duurt vier minuten

Voordat je wegzakt
in de morfinezoete onwerkelijkheid van alledag
willen we alvast even iets zeggen
over die spasmen en fasciculaties van jou
alsook over de bult op je rug

Je hebt natuurlijk jarenlang ieder
huidvlekje gegoogeld, laatst nog
zat je bij de huisarts met een uitgedroogd
stukje scheenbeen
Diagnose: te veel douchegel gebruikt
Maar bij het horen van het woord chondrosarcoom
trok je de internetstekker eruit
Weet jij eigenlijk wel waar je prioriteiten liggen?

Weet jij eigenlijk wel wat het leven je te bieden heeft
of heb je tijdens ellenlange therapiesessies
en die achtweekse cursus mindfulness
dusdanig geleerd om ieder lijden
verdraagzaam te ondergaan dat ieder signaal van je lichaam
bij voorbaat gedoemd was weg te drijven
op het ritme van een of andere ademhalingsoefening
laat de pijn er zijn
vrij zijn is vrij zijn van verlangen?


Fout
Vrij zijn is verlangen naar buitenlucht
en erheen kunnen lopen

Zeg niet dat we je niet gewaarschuwd hebben
Close

The following scan will last four minutes

Before you sink away
into the morphinesweet unreality of the everyday
we would like to say something
about those spasms and fasciculations of yours
as well as that bump on your back

For years you have no doubt
been googling every freckle. Just recently
you were at the doctor’s with a patch
of dry skin on your leg
Diagnosis: too much shower gel
But on hearing the word chondrosarcoma
you went home and immediately unplugged your router
Do you know where your priorities lie?

Do you know what life has to offer
or did those endless therapy sessions
and that eight-week mindfulness course
simply teach you how to tolerate suffering
that every signal in your body
can be temporarily expelled
to the rhythm of some breathing exercise?
Let the pain be
To be free is to be free of need


Wrong
To be free is to need some fresh air
and to be able to get up and go outside

Don’t say we didn’t warn you

The following scan will last four minutes

Before you sink away
into the morphinesweet unreality of the everyday
we would like to say something
about those spasms and fasciculations of yours
as well as that bump on your back

For years you have no doubt
been googling every freckle. Just recently
you were at the doctor’s with a patch
of dry skin on your leg
Diagnosis: too much shower gel
But on hearing the word chondrosarcoma
you went home and immediately unplugged your router
Do you know where your priorities lie?

Do you know what life has to offer
or did those endless therapy sessions
and that eight-week mindfulness course
simply teach you how to tolerate suffering
that every signal in your body
can be temporarily expelled
to the rhythm of some breathing exercise?
Let the pain be
To be free is to be free of need


Wrong
To be free is to need some fresh air
and to be able to get up and go outside

Don’t say we didn’t warn you
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère