Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Signe Gjessing

'Lungs doubt the air’s existence.'

Lungs doubt the air’s
existence.

Air is pushed out of the starry sky.
Lungs are falling planes—with Saint-Exupéry
inside, scribbling something down: lightning fast, the lungs
scribble something down: a touch, a light touch
on the world, as if someone were holding it down—

the lungs are children jumping off a table
in the middle of the universe;

it’s them, who must teach the body to fly.

                                     hanks is all you get.
Stars are formed by thanks vs thanklessness.

In England,
they learn to cover their mouth with their hand when
coughing
and the heart over their lung when they breathe.

'Longen twijfelen aan het bestaan'

Longen twijfelen aan het bestaan van de
lucht.

Lucht is uit het schijnsel van de sterrenhemel geschoven.
Longen zijn vallende vliegtuigen – met St. Exupéry
is er een die iets neerpent, bliksemsnel, de longen
pennen iets neer: een druk, een lichte druk 

op de wereld, alsof iets haar omlaag houdt –

de longen zijn kinderen die midden in het heelal
van een tafel springen;

zij moeten lichamen leren vliegen. 

                                                Ondank is je dank.
De ster is gevormd van dank contra ondank.

In Engeland
leren ze om je hand voor je mond te houden als je
hoest
en je hart voor je long, als je ademhaalt.

'Lunger tvivler på luftens'

Lunger tvivler på luftens
eksistens.
Luft er skubbet ud af stjernehimlens skær.
Lunger er faldende fly – med Saint-Exupéry
i, der kradser noget ned, lynhurtigt, lungerne
kradser noget ned: et tryk, et let tryk
på verden, som om nogen holder den nede –

lungerne er børn, der hopper ned fra et bord
midt i verdensaltet;

de er dem, der skal lære kroppen at flyve.

                                       Utak er takken.
Stjernen er formet af tak kontra utak.

I England
lærer de at holde hånden for munden når de
hoster
og hjertet for lungen, når de trækker vejret.

Close

'Lungs doubt the air’s existence.'

Lungs doubt the air’s
existence.

Air is pushed out of the starry sky.
Lungs are falling planes—with Saint-Exupéry
inside, scribbling something down: lightning fast, the lungs
scribble something down: a touch, a light touch
on the world, as if someone were holding it down—

the lungs are children jumping off a table
in the middle of the universe;

it’s them, who must teach the body to fly.

                                     hanks is all you get.
Stars are formed by thanks vs thanklessness.

In England,
they learn to cover their mouth with their hand when
coughing
and the heart over their lung when they breathe.

'Lungs doubt the air’s existence.'

Lungs doubt the air’s
existence.

Air is pushed out of the starry sky.
Lungs are falling planes—with Saint-Exupéry
inside, scribbling something down: lightning fast, the lungs
scribble something down: a touch, a light touch
on the world, as if someone were holding it down—

the lungs are children jumping off a table
in the middle of the universe;

it’s them, who must teach the body to fly.

                                     hanks is all you get.
Stars are formed by thanks vs thanklessness.

In England,
they learn to cover their mouth with their hand when
coughing
and the heart over their lung when they breathe.

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