Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Rogi Wieg

PLAY!

Somewhere in a strange hotel, meeting your end
like lost property, nowhere, that’s how they
found you. Oh, life is as crooked as the back
of an ancient Goddess of Justice – ‘Creator’ if you will – who
was once born with a crooked back.
Perhaps even a U-turn, as bent as that,
though you never get back to where you began as a child.

You got to 2004, mild april. Began in 1968 in
the womb of mummy Maria, Mummy Theresa,
mummy, at any rate. And now? Do you know now
there’s no law that can last for long?
You breathe, book a room and die too young.

Better if you’d fallen from a hotel window like
an ageing famous jazz musician.
So may Juan Manuel Fernandez Omez
long play his imaginary trumpet
in the imaginary hereafter of the Goddess of Justice –
‘Creator’ if you will. Play!

SPEEL!

SPEEL!

Ergens in een vreemd hotel, de dood vinden
als een gevonden voorwerp, nergens, zo vond
men jou. Och, het bestaan is krom als de rug
van een stokoude Vrouwe Justitia – of zeg maar ‘Schepper’ –,
die ooit met een kromme rug geboren werd.
Een U-turn misschien zelfs, zo gebogen,
al kom je nooit meer uit waar je begon als kindje.

Je kwam uit bij 2004, zacht april. Begonnen in 1968
in de schoot van mamma Maria, Mamma Theresa,
mamma, in elk geval. En nu? Weet je nu dat er geen
recht is dat langdurig stand kan houden?
Je ademt, boekt een kamer en gaat te jong dood.

Was dan liever uit een hotelraam gevallen als
een wat oudere, beroemde jazz-muzikant.
Dus moge Juan Manuel Fernandez Omez
nog lang op zijn denkbeeldige trompet spelen
in het denkbeeldige hiernamaals van Vrouwe Justitia
– of zeg maar ‘Schepper’. Speel!
Close

PLAY!

Somewhere in a strange hotel, meeting your end
like lost property, nowhere, that’s how they
found you. Oh, life is as crooked as the back
of an ancient Goddess of Justice – ‘Creator’ if you will – who
was once born with a crooked back.
Perhaps even a U-turn, as bent as that,
though you never get back to where you began as a child.

You got to 2004, mild april. Began in 1968 in
the womb of mummy Maria, Mummy Theresa,
mummy, at any rate. And now? Do you know now
there’s no law that can last for long?
You breathe, book a room and die too young.

Better if you’d fallen from a hotel window like
an ageing famous jazz musician.
So may Juan Manuel Fernandez Omez
long play his imaginary trumpet
in the imaginary hereafter of the Goddess of Justice –
‘Creator’ if you will. Play!

PLAY!

Somewhere in a strange hotel, meeting your end
like lost property, nowhere, that’s how they
found you. Oh, life is as crooked as the back
of an ancient Goddess of Justice – ‘Creator’ if you will – who
was once born with a crooked back.
Perhaps even a U-turn, as bent as that,
though you never get back to where you began as a child.

You got to 2004, mild april. Began in 1968 in
the womb of mummy Maria, Mummy Theresa,
mummy, at any rate. And now? Do you know now
there’s no law that can last for long?
You breathe, book a room and die too young.

Better if you’d fallen from a hotel window like
an ageing famous jazz musician.
So may Juan Manuel Fernandez Omez
long play his imaginary trumpet
in the imaginary hereafter of the Goddess of Justice –
‘Creator’ if you will. Play!
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