GERMAIN DROOGENBROODT

 

GERMAIN DROOGENBROODT

 

Niglath

 

Be melting snow

wash you off yourself

Rumi

 

Is this of whatever source

the voice

which murmurs mantras

or any other psalm

between the lips

of the river’s bank?

Out of silence

emerges the well

and becomes a stream

pure water

loaded with shadows

flowing to the night

- or who knows

towards a track of light.

 

From “In the Stream of time,

Meditations in the Himalayas”

  

The Shadows

 

The shadows of the night

set out their tentacles

unravelled the light

thieved the oil

the twilight of hope

which late summer bird

defies the silence

takes from the mind more

than the unrest alone?

 

From “In the Stream of time,

Meditations in the Himalayas”

 

Eagle

 

The ravens fly in swarms

the eagle flies alone

   Luchino Visconti

 

So close to heaven

flies the eagle

lonely

as the poet

who patiently waits

the arrival of a verse

till the pen

scratches finally a few a few lines

still doubting

the sense

the idleness

of naming.

 

From “In the Stream of time,

Meditations in the Himalayas”

 

Writing

 

To Ganga Prasad Vimal

 

Writing is weighing

gathering words

with a candle-light

poetry

is silence

becoming audible

 

oil

on the river of time.

 

From “In the Stream of time,

Meditations in the Himalayas”

 

Doubt

 

Each poem

leaves greater void behind

and the fear

nothing will come anymore

this

has been the last fruit

the source is exhausted

but then again

promptly and unexpected

emerges from despair

a timid word

the first line

of a new poem.

 

From “In the Stream of time,

Meditations in the Himalayas”

 

What Else...

 

What else

searches the word for

in the sediment of the verse

if not for the impalpable

- which exists

just as the water of the river

escapes the hand

but learns its limits in the jar

conserves its form

and refreshes

as sometimes does

a poem

 

From “In the Stream of time,

Meditations in the Himalayas”

 

Shanghai

 

Unmoved flowing

between past and present:

the river

 

reflecting at dusk

the heaven-defying towers

the colourful, ephemeral glitter

 

nameless

the testament

the stone trace of men.

 

Shanghai, Friday 6.9.2013

 

GERMAIN DROOGENBROODT

 

GERMAIN DROOGENBROODT is an internationally appreciated poet, translator, publisher and promoter of modern international poetry. He wrote short stories and literary reviews, but mainly poetry, so far 15 poetry books, published in 22 countries. As founder of the Belgian publishing house POINT Editions, he published more than eighty collections of mainly modern, international poetry, he organized and co-organized several international poetry festivals in Spain, is vice president of the Academy Mihai Eminescu, in Romania, co-founder and advisor of JUNPA (Japan Universal Poets Association), artistic advisor of the Italian movement Poetry & Discovery, and founding president of the Spanish cultural foundation ITHACA. He also set up the internationally greatly appreciated project Poetry without Borders, publishing every week a poem from all over the world in 31 languages. Several famous artists made paintings and sculptures inspired by his poetry and international composers composed music to his poems. He visited countless times the Far East and studied Chinese philosophy which inspired his poetry, TAO pretend Chinese which greatly appreciate and published his poetry in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Japanese pretend his poetry is ZEN, four of his poetry books have been published in Japan, including a collection of haiku. Germain Droogenbroodt who received more than a dozen of international poetry awards as poet and as promotor of international poetry, is yearly invited to give recitals and conferences at universities and at the most prestigious international poetry festivals. He was recommended for the Nobel prize of Literature 2017.