Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

John Burnside

Blues

Blues

Blues

It’s moments like this
        when the barman goes through the back
and leaves me alone

a radio whispering
        somewhere amongst the  glasses
               - I’m through with love -

the way the traffic slows
     to nothing
how all of a sudden
     at three in the afternoon

the evening’s already begun
     a nascent
dimming.

     By ten I’ll be walking away
on Union Street
     or crossing Commercial Road
in a gust of rain

and everyone who passes
     will be you
or almost you
     before it’s someone else.
Close

Blues

It’s moments like this
        when the barman goes through the back
and leaves me alone

a radio whispering
        somewhere amongst the  glasses
               - I’m through with love -

the way the traffic slows
     to nothing
how all of a sudden
     at three in the afternoon

the evening’s already begun
     a nascent
dimming.

     By ten I’ll be walking away
on Union Street
     or crossing Commercial Road
in a gust of rain

and everyone who passes
     will be you
or almost you
     before it’s someone else.

Blues

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