Earlier this month, my poem “Ripple” was shortlisted for the 4th Anniversary Contest by Canadian publication DarkWinter Lit. Now, my poem “Asphalt” is on the short list for a British contest, by The Poetry Lighthouse, an online and print magazine and publishing house, that will also publish my bilingual collection Drijfhout/Driftwood.
The award ceremony, during which the winners will be announced, will take place online on Sunday, July 5. The editors have asked me to read my poem during this event. Everyone is welcome to tune in. You can find the link and the info right here.
Asphalt
I followed the factory spills, the fumes
of Diesel cars banned from the city center
that gathered in carpool parking lots
like civil servants at a fire drill.
I followed the pushy cabs, and the bass notes
of a local cover band’s soundcheck
five men with a midlife crisis,
playing the same setlist
every week, for the last twenty years.
What I found was a spring afternoon,
stretching on the asphalt like a lazy cat
warmth crawling under my winter clothes.
Yawning bar staff fighting the remains
of a wild Friday night with brown soap
strong arms reaching for full beer barrels.
Ice cubes clinking in a cocktail glass
clear as a wind chime on a summer’s day
and the waiter who winked at me, saying
“it’s five o’clock somewhere.”
And it hit me
not for the first time, how this city
is an old friend with whom contact faded,
but who embraces me without hesitation
every time we meet, by accident.
(c) Leen Raats
You like my poetry? I have a poetry collection coming up at The Poetry Lighthouse: Driftwood/Drijfhout, with every poem in both English and Dutch. If you want to receive an email when the book is published, just drop me a message below and I’ll be sure to let you know!
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