Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Eva Gerlach

VIRUS (1)

1


That you like this, on your back your mouth open, I slid your name in you,
lay stretched out, me up against you, kept you abreast,
sang, read aloud, wiped sleep snot drool out of your corners
saw the black retreating, closing, saw you take in
what I didn’t ask, that you closed 

Don’t let it come don’t let it
not now leave him unnoticed don't let him
open out, keep him
closed with me inside, a tent for the sun 

Opened your eyes the blue without end your glow
all over me my bridegroom my
canopy and it came, I knew that it would, 

the scraping, the rasping, thrusting,
tearing, breaking began

 

VIRUS (1)

VIRUS (1)

1

Dat je zo, op je rug je mond open, ik schoof je naam in je,
lag languit tegen je aan, praatte je bij,
zong, las je voor, veegde slaap snot kwijl uit je hoeken,
zag het zwart zich terugtrekken, sluiten, zag je verstaan
wat ik niet vroeg, dat je dicht 

Laat het niet komen laat het
niet nu laat hem onopgemerkt laat hem
niet opengaan hou hem
dicht met mij binnenin, een tent voor de zon 

Deed je je ogen het blauw zonder eind je gloed
over me open mijn bruidegom mijn
baldakijn en het kwam, ik kon erop wachten, 

het schrapen, het raspen, stoten,
scheuren, breken begon

Close

VIRUS (1)

1


That you like this, on your back your mouth open, I slid your name in you,
lay stretched out, me up against you, kept you abreast,
sang, read aloud, wiped sleep snot drool out of your corners
saw the black retreating, closing, saw you take in
what I didn’t ask, that you closed 

Don’t let it come don’t let it
not now leave him unnoticed don't let him
open out, keep him
closed with me inside, a tent for the sun 

Opened your eyes the blue without end your glow
all over me my bridegroom my
canopy and it came, I knew that it would, 

the scraping, the rasping, thrusting,
tearing, breaking began

 

VIRUS (1)

1


That you like this, on your back your mouth open, I slid your name in you,
lay stretched out, me up against you, kept you abreast,
sang, read aloud, wiped sleep snot drool out of your corners
saw the black retreating, closing, saw you take in
what I didn’t ask, that you closed 

Don’t let it come don’t let it
not now leave him unnoticed don't let him
open out, keep him
closed with me inside, a tent for the sun 

Opened your eyes the blue without end your glow
all over me my bridegroom my
canopy and it came, I knew that it would, 

the scraping, the rasping, thrusting,
tearing, breaking began

 

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
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