Typografische gedichten

The Cat
John Hollander (1929- )

                                                 O              I
                        am     my
                       own    way
                      of being in
                      view and yet
                      invisible at
                      once Hearing
                       everything
                       you see I
                       see all of
                      whatever you
                     can have heard
                    even inside the
                   deep silences of
                  black silhouettes
                 like these images 
                of furry surfaces
               darkly playing cat
              and mouse with your
             doubts about whether
             other minds can ever
             be drawn from hiding
             and made to be heard
             in inferred language
              I can speak only in
               your voice Are you
                done with my shadow
                 That thread of dark
                  word
                   can
                  all
                 run
                 out
                  now
                    and
                      end
                       our
                    tale

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Swan and Shadow
John Hollander (1929- )

                           Dusk
                         Above the
                    water hang the
                              loud
                             flies
                             Here
                            O so
                           gray
                          then
                         What             A pale signal will appear
                        When         Soon before its shadow fades
                       Where       Here in this pool of opened eye
                       In us     No Upon us As at the very edges
                        of where we take shape in the dark air
                         this object bares its image awakening
                           ripples of recognition that will
                              brush darkness up into light
even after this bird this hour both drift by atop the perfect sad instant now
                              already passing out of sight
                           toward yet untroubled reflection
                         this image bears its object darkening
                        into memorial shades Scattered bits of
                       light     No of water Or something across
                       water       Breaking up No Being regathered
                        soon         Yet by then a swan will have
                         gone             Yes out of mind into what
                          vast                           pale
                            hush
                             of a
                             place
                              past
                    sudden dark as
                         if a swan
                            sang
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Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918)

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The Mouse's Tale
Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)

Fury said to a mouse,
     That he met in the
            house, 'Let us
               both go to law:
                I will prosecute
              you.-- Come, I'll
             take no denial;
           We must have
         a trial: For
       really this
     morning I've
   nothing to do.'
       Said the mouse
             to the cur,
               'Such a trial,
                  dear Sir, With
                      no jury or
                    judge, would
                   be wasting
               our breath.'
            'I'll be
       judge, I'll
     be jury,'
   Said cunning
 old Fury:
    'I'll try
      the whole
        cause, and
            condemn
                you
                  to
                   death.'

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Il pleut
Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918)

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A Prayer to the Sun
Geoffrey Hill (1932-1999)

  (in memory of Miguel Hernandez)  

      (1)
    Darkness
above all things
    the Sun
     makes
     rise
 
                      (2)
                    Vultures
                salute their meat
                    at noon
                   (Hell is
                    silent)
 
                                         (3)
                                      Blind Sun
                                     our ravager
                                      bless us
                                       so that
                                      we sleep.
 

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A Christmas Tree
William Burford (1927- )
 

Star,
If you are
A love Compassionate,
You will walk with us this year.
We face a glacial distance, who are her
Huddl'd
At your feet.

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Pauline van Wierst
klas 3 VWO, 2000
Scholengemeenschap Helen Parkhurst, Almere