Hemel op aard

wandelend, langs de oever van een rivier
op een luie zomernamiddag, aan het eind
van de dag, zag ik de zon, in al zijn vrede
gracieus wegstervend, laag aan de hemel
staan

op dat moment viel er een serene rust over
mij, de last op mijn schouders leek mij even
te verlaten, de natuur nam een pauze en zij
nam haar tijd

langzaam kwam de nacht en ik smolt samen
met het heelal, waar ik de sterren onderzocht
die de hemel deden oplichten, hun kalmte viel
omstreeks

middernacht over mij heen, ik was alleen daar
in vrede met mijzelf, samen met de rivier, dit
was de manier waarop ik moest leven, het voelde
zo verschrikkelijk goed

en ik zoog de lucht in zijn meest pure vorm
met kracht naar binnen, het water brak kalm
op de oevers van de rivier, de sprinkhaan
speelde zijn eenzame lied

er lag een roeiboot op zijn kant, ik rolde hem
terug en ging de rivier op, nog nooit had ik mij
terwijl ik roeide, zo goed gevoeld, langzaam
naderde ik mijn hemel op aard

en toen ik het zag was de herkenning daar, het was
vroeg in de morgen, tijdens het breken van de dag
dat ik terug kwam aan de oever van de rivier, liet
de boot rusten en dromen

in het zand van waar het lag, nam het pad terug
naar het dorp, dat met stilte omgeven was, ik was
veranderd, ik was anders, ik was herboren een nieuw
mens

eindelijk had ik het ritme van het leven hervonden
nooit zou ik meer, deze last des levens hoeven torsen
ze was verdwenen daar, om middernacht, ergens op
de rivier

(c) JR. 2019

vertaling van het Engelse gedicht Heaven uit 2013
ook op deze blog    

No man's land

I've been there for so long
time flies into my yesterdays
must be years ago I came in a land
that never knew hay

no beauty as far as I can see
here an' there the odd appletree
no homestead at all only two walls
to guard it all

it's hard to believe, I here did find my peace
from a world forever at war, this place to me
is unigue

a place where the odd stranger comes running
before a storm bringin' bullets and rain, I help
him beat this storm

help him to a place out of the rain, where he thinks
home is not far away, where he thinks it has a bed to
sleep, where its stairs do not run steep

just I know where he'd rather be, safest place on earth
is right here, in 'no man's land' an everlasting peace
where the occaisional bullet is released

where nobody wants to be and the skies are clear
where I drink a quiet beer, I'm at ease here, livin'
close to those walls, where they can't see me

can't get me into their sight, where I live, stay
alive, I love my 'no man's land', a land nobody
claims, in my heart it has no rain

(c) JR.  eightees

Pieces

waitin' at the threshold of time
as life leaves us lookin' out over
a field where a late season dies

my life is as that season, lookin'
over its shoulder, lookin' at what
it leaves behind maybe with some
of those lost pieces it just can't find

sometimes you're collecting those
pieces remains of what once was
until they al come together as it was

I spend a lifetime collecting those pieces
and they almost have come together still
a couple are left, I myself am the last piece
to collect

that's what life is collecting pieces
until they all come together at a window
in time giving us a chance to see what lies
ahead on the other side

(c) JR. 2019

Vertwijfeling

in al zijn vertwijfeling
grijpt hij vertwijfeld naar zijn hoofd
wanneer ongetwijfeld, zijn vertwijfelde uitspraken
slecht vallen, in een twijfelachtig allooi

(c) JR. 2019

Stones

powerfull, powerfull stones
precious, wonderfull stones
no strenght can ever match
showing their light instead

stones are my delight
cleansing my soul inside
soothing my weary mind
guaranteed is my life
so strong I'll survive
greatness never does die

stones to keep me company
stones that will support
stones won't get me lost
stones stay close to me
stones to keep me company

they'll always be there
they'll always take care
always share their [ower
stay with me ev'ry hour
ev'ry night into the day
stones will never go away

(c) JR. eightees

Time's on my side

as the night comes into sight
I turn to pour myself a drink, it's a precious moment
I know what I will see, the good times of my yesterday's
at the threshold of sleep

a drink does it all to me and yes life's been good to me
before I know it happens, all are in front of me smiling
sitting 'round the fire, burning lazily

remembering those years, I do recall, wish they'd come
come near, I can name ev'ry face, know all their tales
I put down my head and try to get a rest

and I'm so very happy, they're the memories I try to have
and stay, I;m not old yet not young, but got years enough
to have those dreams now and then and relive the good
times again

all my loves are there, so much we still share
they talk to me all night, so very happy to slip
back into time

it's what I live for, having those dreams, see them
all again, I know , can;t leave it, must see them
ev'ry time, they're my relatives, they keep me alive

and yes, it's been a good drink, have slept all night
I try to waken, yet there is no change, they're still
here, is this fiction, reality, am I still alive, actually
I don't care, I've got time on my side

(c) JR. eightees