Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Hiromi Itō

The Maltreatment of Meaning

Can you speak Japanese?
No, I cannot speak
Yes, I can speak
Yes, I can speak but cannot read
Yes, I can speak and read but cannot write
Yes, I can speak and write but cannot understand
I was a good child
You were a good child
We were good children
That is good
I was a bad child
You were a bad child
We were bad children
That is bad
To learn a language you must replace and repeat
I was an ugly child
You were an ugly child
We were ugly children
That is ugly
I am bored
You are bored
We are bored
That is boring
I am hateful
You are hateful
We are hateful
That is hatred
I will eat
You will eat
We will eat
That is a good appetite
I won’t eat
You won’t eat
We won’t eat
That is a bad appetite
I will make meaning
You will make meaning
We will make meaning
That is conveying language
I will use Japanese
You will use Japanese
We will use Japanese
That is Japanese
I want to rip off meaning
You want to rip off meaning
We want to rip off meaning
That is the desire to rip off meaning
I want to show contempt for language as nothing more than raw material
You want to show contempt for language as nothing more than raw material
We want to show contempt for language as nothing more than raw material
That is, language is nothing more than raw material
I will replace words mechanically and make sentences impossible in real life
You will replace words mechanically and make sentences impossible in real life
We will replace words mechanically and make sentences impossible in real life
That is replacing words mechanically and making sentences impossible in real life
Rip off meaning
Sound remains
Even so we search for meaning. The primitive reflection of a newborn sucking a  finger if one sticks one out
It is the primitive reflection of a newborn sucking a finger if I stick one out
It is the primitive reflection of a newborn sucking a finger if you stick one out
It is the primitive reflection of a newborn sucking a finger if we stick one out
It is the primitive reflection of sucking if a newborn’s that sticks out a finger
As for me, meaning
As for you, meaning
As for us, meaning
Is meaning, that is
Do not convey
As for me, do not convey
As for you, do not convey
As for us, do not convey
Do not do it, that is conveyance
Meaning ripped apart and covered in blood is surely miserable, that is happiness
I am happy meaning covered in blood is miserable
You are happy meaning covered in blood is miserable
We are happy meaning covered in blood is miserable
The blood-covered meaning of that is blood-covered misery, that is happiness

DE MISHANDELING VAN BETEKENIS

kun jij Japans spreken?
nee, dat spreek ik niet
ja, dat spreek ik
ja, dat spreek ik maar ik kan het niet lezen
ja, dat spreek en lees ik, maar ik kan het niet schrijven
ja, dat spreek, lees en schrijf ik, maar ik kan het niet verstaan
ik was een braaf kind
jij was een braaf kind
wij waren brave kinderen
dat is braaf
ik was een slecht kind
jij was een slecht kind
wij waren slechte kinderen
dat is slecht
om een taal te leren moet je vervangen en herhalen
ik was een lelijk kind
jij was een lelijk kind
wij waren lelijke kinderen
dat is lelijk
ik ben saai
jij bent saai
wij zij saai
dat is saai
ik ben hatelijk
jij bent hatelijk
wij zijn hatelijk
dat is haat
ik eet
jij eet
wij eten
dat is gezonde eetlust
ik eet niet
jij eet niet
wij eten niet
dat is een slechte eetlust
ik beteken
jij betekent
wij betekenen
dat is de overdracht van taal
ik gebruik Japans
jij gebruikt Japans
wij gebruiken Japans
dat is Japans
ik wil betekenis afpellen
jij wil betekenis afpellen
wij willen betekenis afpellen
dat is de behoefte betekenis af te pellen
ik wil vooral neerkijken op taal als niets meer dan materiaal
jij wilt vooral neerkijken op taal als niets meer dan materiaal
wij willen vooral neerkijken op taal als niets meer dan materiaal
dat is vooral dat taal niets meer is dan materiaal
ik vervang woorden mechanisch en maak zinnen die in het echt niet voorkomen
jij vervangt woorden mechanisch en maakt zinnen die in het echt niet voorkomen
wij vervangen woorden mechanisch en maken zinnen die in het echt niet voorkomen
dat is woorden mechanisch vervangen en zinnen maken die in het echt niet voorkomen
betekenis pel ik af
geluid blijft over
en toch zoeken we betekenis. de primitieve reflex van een pasgeborene die aan een uitgestoken vinger zuigt
ik ben de primitieve reflex van een pasgeborene die aan een uitgestoken vinger zuigt
jij bent de primitieve reflex van een pasgeborene die aan een uitgestoken vinger zuigt
wij zijn de primitieve reflex van een pasgeborene die aan een uitgestoken vinger zuigt
die van een pasgeborene is de primitieve reflex aan een uitgestoken vinger te zuigen
voor mij is betekenis
voor jou is betekenis
voor ons is betekenis
het is betekenis, dat
niet overdragen
ik moet niet overdragen
jij moet niet overdragen
wij moeten niet overdragen
dat moet je niet doen, overdracht
afgerukte, bloedbevlekte betekenis is zeker ellendig, gelukzalig
voor mij is bloedbevlekte betekenis ellendig, gelukzalig
voor jou is bloedbevlekte betekenis ellendig, gelukzalig
voor ons is bloedbevlekte betekenis ellendig, gelukzalig
het is de bloedbevlekte ellende van die bloedbevlekte betekenis, dat is gelukzalig

Close

The Maltreatment of Meaning

Can you speak Japanese?
No, I cannot speak
Yes, I can speak
Yes, I can speak but cannot read
Yes, I can speak and read but cannot write
Yes, I can speak and write but cannot understand
I was a good child
You were a good child
We were good children
That is good
I was a bad child
You were a bad child
We were bad children
That is bad
To learn a language you must replace and repeat
I was an ugly child
You were an ugly child
We were ugly children
That is ugly
I am bored
You are bored
We are bored
That is boring
I am hateful
You are hateful
We are hateful
That is hatred
I will eat
You will eat
We will eat
That is a good appetite
I won’t eat
You won’t eat
We won’t eat
That is a bad appetite
I will make meaning
You will make meaning
We will make meaning
That is conveying language
I will use Japanese
You will use Japanese
We will use Japanese
That is Japanese
I want to rip off meaning
You want to rip off meaning
We want to rip off meaning
That is the desire to rip off meaning
I want to show contempt for language as nothing more than raw material
You want to show contempt for language as nothing more than raw material
We want to show contempt for language as nothing more than raw material
That is, language is nothing more than raw material
I will replace words mechanically and make sentences impossible in real life
You will replace words mechanically and make sentences impossible in real life
We will replace words mechanically and make sentences impossible in real life
That is replacing words mechanically and making sentences impossible in real life
Rip off meaning
Sound remains
Even so we search for meaning. The primitive reflection of a newborn sucking a  finger if one sticks one out
It is the primitive reflection of a newborn sucking a finger if I stick one out
It is the primitive reflection of a newborn sucking a finger if you stick one out
It is the primitive reflection of a newborn sucking a finger if we stick one out
It is the primitive reflection of sucking if a newborn’s that sticks out a finger
As for me, meaning
As for you, meaning
As for us, meaning
Is meaning, that is
Do not convey
As for me, do not convey
As for you, do not convey
As for us, do not convey
Do not do it, that is conveyance
Meaning ripped apart and covered in blood is surely miserable, that is happiness
I am happy meaning covered in blood is miserable
You are happy meaning covered in blood is miserable
We are happy meaning covered in blood is miserable
The blood-covered meaning of that is blood-covered misery, that is happiness

The Maltreatment of Meaning

Can you speak Japanese?
No, I cannot speak
Yes, I can speak
Yes, I can speak but cannot read
Yes, I can speak and read but cannot write
Yes, I can speak and write but cannot understand
I was a good child
You were a good child
We were good children
That is good
I was a bad child
You were a bad child
We were bad children
That is bad
To learn a language you must replace and repeat
I was an ugly child
You were an ugly child
We were ugly children
That is ugly
I am bored
You are bored
We are bored
That is boring
I am hateful
You are hateful
We are hateful
That is hatred
I will eat
You will eat
We will eat
That is a good appetite
I won’t eat
You won’t eat
We won’t eat
That is a bad appetite
I will make meaning
You will make meaning
We will make meaning
That is conveying language
I will use Japanese
You will use Japanese
We will use Japanese
That is Japanese
I want to rip off meaning
You want to rip off meaning
We want to rip off meaning
That is the desire to rip off meaning
I want to show contempt for language as nothing more than raw material
You want to show contempt for language as nothing more than raw material
We want to show contempt for language as nothing more than raw material
That is, language is nothing more than raw material
I will replace words mechanically and make sentences impossible in real life
You will replace words mechanically and make sentences impossible in real life
We will replace words mechanically and make sentences impossible in real life
That is replacing words mechanically and making sentences impossible in real life
Rip off meaning
Sound remains
Even so we search for meaning. The primitive reflection of a newborn sucking a  finger if one sticks one out
It is the primitive reflection of a newborn sucking a finger if I stick one out
It is the primitive reflection of a newborn sucking a finger if you stick one out
It is the primitive reflection of a newborn sucking a finger if we stick one out
It is the primitive reflection of sucking if a newborn’s that sticks out a finger
As for me, meaning
As for you, meaning
As for us, meaning
Is meaning, that is
Do not convey
As for me, do not convey
As for you, do not convey
As for us, do not convey
Do not do it, that is conveyance
Meaning ripped apart and covered in blood is surely miserable, that is happiness
I am happy meaning covered in blood is miserable
You are happy meaning covered in blood is miserable
We are happy meaning covered in blood is miserable
The blood-covered meaning of that is blood-covered misery, that is happiness
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