Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Toon Tellegen

MY FRIEND

My friend,
he's standing on the edge of a precipice,
but he doesn't falter,

those who claim he's faltering
don't know what faltering is,

it looks like faltering,
it even looks like falling,
like wanting to cling to something,
but it isn't,

it isn't shouting either
what he does,
nor recoiling, nor hesitating, nor looking back,

it's something new,
something different,
something no one else can do –

my friend,
his blue heaven,
his peregrine impatience,
his ash-grey, winter-clear immortality,

he doesn't falter.

MIJN VRIEND

MIJN VRIEND

Mijn vriend,
hij staat aan de rand van een afgrond,
maar hij wankelt niet,

zij die beweren dat hij wankelt
weten niet wat wankelen is,

het lijkt op wankelen,
het lijkt zelfs op vallen,
op ergens zich nog aan vast willen klampen,
maar het is het niet,

het is ook geen schreeuwen
wat hij doet,
geen terugdeinzen, geen aarzelen, geen omkijken,

het is iets nieuws,
iets anders,
iets wat niemand kan –

mijn vriend,
zijn blauwe hemel,
zijn slechtvalken ongeduld,
zijn grauwe winters zuivere onsterfelijkheid,

hij wankelt niet.
Close

MY FRIEND

My friend,
he's standing on the edge of a precipice,
but he doesn't falter,

those who claim he's faltering
don't know what faltering is,

it looks like faltering,
it even looks like falling,
like wanting to cling to something,
but it isn't,

it isn't shouting either
what he does,
nor recoiling, nor hesitating, nor looking back,

it's something new,
something different,
something no one else can do –

my friend,
his blue heaven,
his peregrine impatience,
his ash-grey, winter-clear immortality,

he doesn't falter.

MY FRIEND

My friend,
he's standing on the edge of a precipice,
but he doesn't falter,

those who claim he's faltering
don't know what faltering is,

it looks like faltering,
it even looks like falling,
like wanting to cling to something,
but it isn't,

it isn't shouting either
what he does,
nor recoiling, nor hesitating, nor looking back,

it's something new,
something different,
something no one else can do –

my friend,
his blue heaven,
his peregrine impatience,
his ash-grey, winter-clear immortality,

he doesn't falter.
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