Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Elly de Waard

The bright white sheets in the moonlight,

The bright white sheets in the moonlight,
are glowing as if a soft lamp were burning
behind them, their drape of fine linen

weave hunched together in truly
hair-fine shadow, of bluer lights
the folds, I with my legs between them;

the moon makes large square slabs
of light on the gleaming wooden floor,
the varnished one, almost like cubes

they come in quietly clunking
through the open windows - I just about want
to kiss somebody, if only for a moment

between these glowing moonsheets
to grab hold, want to soothe
my great restlessness, to come to a deep

being at peace, like the moon
that is so still and full tonight as I
and I don\'t know what will take me there -

De zo witte lakens in het maanlicht,

De zo witte lakens in het maanlicht,
ze stralen of er een zachte lamp achter
ze brandt, de plooien van het fijne linnen

weefsel scholen samen in een nauw
merkbare schaduw, van blauwere schijnsels
de vouwen, ik met mijn benen er tussen;

de maan maakt grote vierkante plakken
van licht op de glanzende houten vloer,
de gepolitoerde, haast als kubussen

komen die zacht naar binnen smakken
door de open ramen - ik zou wel iemand
willen kussen, al was het maar voor even

tussen deze stralende maanlakens
willen vastpakken, mij willen sussen
van mijn grote onrust, om tot een diep

rustig zijn te geraken, zoals de maan
die zo stil is en vol vanavond als ik
en ik weet niet waarmee er te gaan -
Close

The bright white sheets in the moonlight,

The bright white sheets in the moonlight,
are glowing as if a soft lamp were burning
behind them, their drape of fine linen

weave hunched together in truly
hair-fine shadow, of bluer lights
the folds, I with my legs between them;

the moon makes large square slabs
of light on the gleaming wooden floor,
the varnished one, almost like cubes

they come in quietly clunking
through the open windows - I just about want
to kiss somebody, if only for a moment

between these glowing moonsheets
to grab hold, want to soothe
my great restlessness, to come to a deep

being at peace, like the moon
that is so still and full tonight as I
and I don\'t know what will take me there -

The bright white sheets in the moonlight,

The bright white sheets in the moonlight,
are glowing as if a soft lamp were burning
behind them, their drape of fine linen

weave hunched together in truly
hair-fine shadow, of bluer lights
the folds, I with my legs between them;

the moon makes large square slabs
of light on the gleaming wooden floor,
the varnished one, almost like cubes

they come in quietly clunking
through the open windows - I just about want
to kiss somebody, if only for a moment

between these glowing moonsheets
to grab hold, want to soothe
my great restlessness, to come to a deep

being at peace, like the moon
that is so still and full tonight as I
and I don\'t know what will take me there -
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