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Poem

Sonja Prins

economy's tentacles

you may well talk
about economic power
sitting quietly on a chair
watching boat refugees
fall into the sea

but meanwhile
somewhere
beneath that water
and the earth and the places
you sit and stand on

there is this concealed
event
leading entire groups to despair
destroying many
and making others rich

you can't
talk about it calmly
because you learned the hard way
and you know
you are part of it
through all its tentacles

vangarmen van de economie

vangarmen van de economie

je kunt wel praten
over economiese macht
rustig op een stoel gezeten
kijkend naar bootvluchtelingen
die in zee vallen

maar ondertussen
is er ergens
onder dat water
en de grond en de plaatsen
waarop je zit en staat

dat onzichtbare
verschijnsel
dat hele groepen tot wanhoop
brengt velen vernietigt
anderen rijk maakt

je kunt er niet
rustig over praten want je wordt zelf
uit ervaring wijs
en je weet dat je erbij bent
betrokken
door al zijn tentakels

Sonja Prins

Sonja Prins

(The Netherlands, 1912 - 2009)

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economy's tentacles

you may well talk
about economic power
sitting quietly on a chair
watching boat refugees
fall into the sea

but meanwhile
somewhere
beneath that water
and the earth and the places
you sit and stand on

there is this concealed
event
leading entire groups to despair
destroying many
and making others rich

you can't
talk about it calmly
because you learned the hard way
and you know
you are part of it
through all its tentacles

economy's tentacles

you may well talk
about economic power
sitting quietly on a chair
watching boat refugees
fall into the sea

but meanwhile
somewhere
beneath that water
and the earth and the places
you sit and stand on

there is this concealed
event
leading entire groups to despair
destroying many
and making others rich

you can't
talk about it calmly
because you learned the hard way
and you know
you are part of it
through all its tentacles

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