Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Simone Atangana Bekono

IT'S STILL JUST A ROOM, I

this is the wrong room
this isn't the place where it went down
let's go let's go this isn't the place I meant
too much sunlight the stale smell of fried food
too many plant cuttings too much stuff from full shelves and laughter
if it was here where it was
then I don't believe my memories 

let'sgolet'sgo
let'sgolet'sgolet'sgo 

this isn't the room
you know exactly what I mean
keepgoingkeepgoing follow the hall where the calf becomes the cow
where the cow slips through the widened crack 

regret's slick cover
now I'm something old hunched over when I walk
but let's go

they think I'm crazy but                                             look
this isn't the room
this isn't the spot
the room that proved to be a shallow stream
it didn't happen here
this isn't where she lost her head

HET IS NOG STEEDS GEWOON EEN KAMER I

HET IS NOG STEEDS GEWOON EEN KAMER I

dit is de verkeerde kamer
dit is niet de plek waar het gebeurde
kom kom dit is niet de plek die ik bedoel
zoveel zonlicht geur van oud frituur
zoveel stekjes stof van bezette planken en gelach
als het hier was waar het leefde
dan geloof ik mijn geheugen niet 

komkom
komkomkom 

dit is niet de kamer
je weet heus wat ik bedoel
verderverder volg het kalf dat in de gang de koe wordt
en de koe die door een verwijdde kier glipt

glibberig van spijt
ik ben nu een oud iets en ik loop krom
maar kom 

ze denken dat ik gek ben maar                      kijk
dit is niet de kamer
dit is niet de plek
de kamer die een ondiepe beek bleek
hier gebeurde het niet
dit is niet waar ze haar hoofd verloor

Close

IT'S STILL JUST A ROOM, I

this is the wrong room
this isn't the place where it went down
let's go let's go this isn't the place I meant
too much sunlight the stale smell of fried food
too many plant cuttings too much stuff from full shelves and laughter
if it was here where it was
then I don't believe my memories 

let'sgolet'sgo
let'sgolet'sgolet'sgo 

this isn't the room
you know exactly what I mean
keepgoingkeepgoing follow the hall where the calf becomes the cow
where the cow slips through the widened crack 

regret's slick cover
now I'm something old hunched over when I walk
but let's go

they think I'm crazy but                                             look
this isn't the room
this isn't the spot
the room that proved to be a shallow stream
it didn't happen here
this isn't where she lost her head

IT'S STILL JUST A ROOM, I

this is the wrong room
this isn't the place where it went down
let's go let's go this isn't the place I meant
too much sunlight the stale smell of fried food
too many plant cuttings too much stuff from full shelves and laughter
if it was here where it was
then I don't believe my memories 

let'sgolet'sgo
let'sgolet'sgolet'sgo 

this isn't the room
you know exactly what I mean
keepgoingkeepgoing follow the hall where the calf becomes the cow
where the cow slips through the widened crack 

regret's slick cover
now I'm something old hunched over when I walk
but let's go

they think I'm crazy but                                             look
this isn't the room
this isn't the spot
the room that proved to be a shallow stream
it didn't happen here
this isn't where she lost her head

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