Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Toon Tellegen

DON’T LEAVE, I THOUGHT

Don’t leave, I thought
and no one left.
“Don\'t leave,” I whispered
and no one left.
“Please don\'t leave!” I said
and no one left.

Then I shouted it, screamed it,
and the distance echoed my words:
“Don\'t leave . . .  Don\'t leave . . . ”
and no one left.

Evening came,
it was very quiet
and I thought:
now someone will leave . . .
But no one left.

Then I was sure of it.

Ga niet weg, dacht ik

Ga niet weg, dacht ik
en niemand ging weg.
“Ga niet weg,” fluisterde ik
en niemand ging weg.
“Ga toch niet weg!” zei ik
en niemand ging weg.

Toen riep ik het, gilde ik het,
en de verte weerkaatste mijn woorden:
“Niet weg . . .  Niet weg . . . ”
en niemand ging weg.

Het werd avond,
het was heel stil
en ik dacht:
nu gaat er iemand weg . . .
Maar er ging niemand weg.

Toen wist ik het zeker.
Close

DON’T LEAVE, I THOUGHT

Don’t leave, I thought
and no one left.
“Don\'t leave,” I whispered
and no one left.
“Please don\'t leave!” I said
and no one left.

Then I shouted it, screamed it,
and the distance echoed my words:
“Don\'t leave . . .  Don\'t leave . . . ”
and no one left.

Evening came,
it was very quiet
and I thought:
now someone will leave . . .
But no one left.

Then I was sure of it.

DON’T LEAVE, I THOUGHT

Don’t leave, I thought
and no one left.
“Don\'t leave,” I whispered
and no one left.
“Please don\'t leave!” I said
and no one left.

Then I shouted it, screamed it,
and the distance echoed my words:
“Don\'t leave . . .  Don\'t leave . . . ”
and no one left.

Evening came,
it was very quiet
and I thought:
now someone will leave . . .
But no one left.

Then I was sure of it.
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