Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Rutger Kopland

PORTRAIT WITH DOG

That dog and I. He has withdrawn
into himself, and I

– I had laid my hand
on his back, his coat wrinkled,
I had looked into his eyes and he
stared up at my face as though
he was looking for something from my lips,
I had muttered something and
he laid himself down, sighed
and went to sleep –

I must have been something
in that hand, that face, those lips,

something I once knew, but that is now
hidden away in him, that dog.

PORTRET MET HOND

PORTRET MET HOND

Die hond en ik. Hij heeft zich
teruggetrokken in zichzelf, en ik

– ik had mijn hand op zijn rug
gelegd, zijn huid rimpelde,
ik had hem aangekeken en hij
keek op in mijn gezicht alsof
hij iets zocht uit mijn mond,
ik had iets gemompeld en
hij legde zich neer, zuchtte
en sliep in –

ik moet iets zijn geweest in
die hand, dat gezicht, die mond,

iets dat ik heb gekend, maar nu
verborgen is in hem, die hond.
Close

PORTRAIT WITH DOG

That dog and I. He has withdrawn
into himself, and I

– I had laid my hand
on his back, his coat wrinkled,
I had looked into his eyes and he
stared up at my face as though
he was looking for something from my lips,
I had muttered something and
he laid himself down, sighed
and went to sleep –

I must have been something
in that hand, that face, those lips,

something I once knew, but that is now
hidden away in him, that dog.

PORTRAIT WITH DOG

That dog and I. He has withdrawn
into himself, and I

– I had laid my hand
on his back, his coat wrinkled,
I had looked into his eyes and he
stared up at my face as though
he was looking for something from my lips,
I had muttered something and
he laid himself down, sighed
and went to sleep –

I must have been something
in that hand, that face, those lips,

something I once knew, but that is now
hidden away in him, that dog.
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