Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Peter Verhelst

REMEMBER?

Remember when we on the tips of our toes on the edge
Of a mountain it seemed, that time that we ecstatic, a second,
No longer, a few millimetres over the edge we seemed, no sooner
Than during that undying, that one unbelievable tremor
That looking back perhaps didn’t even, that single flame
That shot out from us, we said, or that we could have been, we thought,
Out of breath, that second that seemed eternal, that dancing, that cheering,
And we the second after even, how is it possible we thought, and that we ourselves
Never so crowded before, how we knew from now on every second after, remember
How we, we sometimes said, that we knew that we never again, that we would
Always think how the fuse from now on after, ever after, irrevocably
Each millimetre a millimetre closer to that other, that entire flame
That from now on began to lick at us in an entirely different form.

WEET JE NOG?

WEET JE NOG?

Weet je nog toen we op de toppen van onze tenen op de rand
Van een berg leek het wel, die keer dat we jubelend, een seconde,
Niet langer, enkele millimeters over de rand leken we, nooit eerder
Dan tijdens die onsterfelijke, die ene ongelofelijke trilling
Die er achteraf gezien misschien niet eens, die ene vlam
Die uit ons opschoot, zeiden we, of die we hadden kunnen zijn, dachten we,
Buiten adem, die seconde die eeuwig leek, dat dansen, dat juichen,
En we de seconde erna al, hoe is het mogelijk dachten we, en dat we ons nooit
Eerder zo overvol, hoe we wisten dat we vanaf nu elke seconde verder, weet je nog
Hoe we, zeiden we soms, dat we wisten dat we nooit meer, dat we er altijd
Aan zouden denken hoe de lont vanaf nu verder, almaar verder, onherroepelijk
Elke millimeter een millimeter dichter bij die andere, die totale vlam
Die ons vanaf nu in een totaal andere vorm begon te likken.
Close

REMEMBER?

Remember when we on the tips of our toes on the edge
Of a mountain it seemed, that time that we ecstatic, a second,
No longer, a few millimetres over the edge we seemed, no sooner
Than during that undying, that one unbelievable tremor
That looking back perhaps didn’t even, that single flame
That shot out from us, we said, or that we could have been, we thought,
Out of breath, that second that seemed eternal, that dancing, that cheering,
And we the second after even, how is it possible we thought, and that we ourselves
Never so crowded before, how we knew from now on every second after, remember
How we, we sometimes said, that we knew that we never again, that we would
Always think how the fuse from now on after, ever after, irrevocably
Each millimetre a millimetre closer to that other, that entire flame
That from now on began to lick at us in an entirely different form.

REMEMBER?

Remember when we on the tips of our toes on the edge
Of a mountain it seemed, that time that we ecstatic, a second,
No longer, a few millimetres over the edge we seemed, no sooner
Than during that undying, that one unbelievable tremor
That looking back perhaps didn’t even, that single flame
That shot out from us, we said, or that we could have been, we thought,
Out of breath, that second that seemed eternal, that dancing, that cheering,
And we the second after even, how is it possible we thought, and that we ourselves
Never so crowded before, how we knew from now on every second after, remember
How we, we sometimes said, that we knew that we never again, that we would
Always think how the fuse from now on after, ever after, irrevocably
Each millimetre a millimetre closer to that other, that entire flame
That from now on began to lick at us in an entirely different form.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère