Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Eva Gerlach

Doppelgänger

A man who cycled so hard we hardly saw him
on drawing level hoarsely cried watch out
but well before we could do anything he’d passed by
and well before we could look for him he’d all but gone.

He must have been a pro considering the way he disappeared
beneath the viaduct, transparent almost, a small cloud of
dust, not that it swirled up from the asphalt but that he
thinned and thinned away from catching up with himself.

Dubbelganger

Dubbelganger

Een man die fietste zo hard dat wij hem bijna niet zagen
kwam langs en riep met schorre stem pas op
maar voor wij iets konden doen was hij al weer voorbij
en voor wij hem na konden kijken was hij al zowat weg.

Het moet een beroeps zijn geweest als je zag hoe hij onder
het viaduct verdween, bijna doorzichtig, een wolkje
stof, niet dat dat opwoei van het asfalt maar hijzelf
dunner en dunner van steeds zichzelf in te halen.
Close

Doppelgänger

A man who cycled so hard we hardly saw him
on drawing level hoarsely cried watch out
but well before we could do anything he’d passed by
and well before we could look for him he’d all but gone.

He must have been a pro considering the way he disappeared
beneath the viaduct, transparent almost, a small cloud of
dust, not that it swirled up from the asphalt but that he
thinned and thinned away from catching up with himself.

Doppelgänger

A man who cycled so hard we hardly saw him
on drawing level hoarsely cried watch out
but well before we could do anything he’d passed by
and well before we could look for him he’d all but gone.

He must have been a pro considering the way he disappeared
beneath the viaduct, transparent almost, a small cloud of
dust, not that it swirled up from the asphalt but that he
thinned and thinned away from catching up with himself.
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