Desmond Painter. Drie koppies oggendkoffie

Die nuwe dag aandurf sonder daardie eerste koppie oggendkoffie? Vergeet daarvan. Die eerste ding wat ek doen wanneer ek uit die bed opstaan is om die ketel aan te skakel. Soms volg daar ‘n tweede en ‘n derde koppie… Soos Bob Dylan gesing het: “One more cup of coffee before I go… to the valley below.” En nie een van daardie koppies koffie is heeltemal dieselfde nie. Hier, vir jou leesgenot, volg drie gedigte oor oggendkoffie, en oor die gedagtes wat hulle vergesel:

 

 

Morning Coffee – Gyorgi Petri

 

I like the cold rooms of autumn, sitting

early in the morning at an open window,

or on the roof, dressing-gown drawn close,

the valley and the morning coffee glowing –

this cooling, that warming.

 

Red and yellow multiply, but the green

wanes, and into the mud the leaves

fall – fall in heaps,

the devalued currency of summer:

so much of it, so worthless!

 

Gradually the sky’s

downy grey turns blue, the slight

chill dies down. The tide

of day comes rolling in –

in waves, gigantic, patient, barreling.

 

I can start to carry on. I give myself up

to an impersonal imperative.

 

 

Happiness – Raymond Carver

 

So early it’s still almost dark out.

I’m near the window with coffee,

and the usual early morning stuff

that passes for thought.

 

When I see the boy and his friend

walking up the road

to deliver the newspaper.

 

They wear caps and sweaters,

and one boy has a bag over his shoulder.

They are so happy

they aren’t saying anything, these boys.

 

I think if they could, they would take

each other’s arm.

It’s early in the morning,

and they are doing this thing together.

 

They come on, slowly.

The sky is taking on light,

though the moon still hangs pale over the water.

 

Such beauty that for a minute

death and ambition, even love,

doesn’t enter into this.

 

Happiness. It comes on

unexpectedly. And goes beyond, really,

any early morning talk about it.

 

 

in die vroegte probeer ek ‘n deuntjie dink – Boerneef

 

in die vroegte probeer ek ‘n deuntjie dink

wat ‘n man kan neurie as jy koffie drink

dis nie hoekom nie dis nie daarom nie

willie hotom nie willie haarom nie

smaak my ek sal my draai verloor

die deuntjie wat ek in die vroegte dink

hoekom moet hy tog so inskottel klink

dis nie hoekom nie dis nie daarom nie

kan nie hotom nie kan nie haarom nie

ek is seker ek het my draai verloor