Versindaba kompetisie vir vertaalde gedigte (88)
Gisela Ullyatt. Vertaling van Afrikaans in Engels. Vert. deur Tony Ullyatt.
after breakfast
from that morning
you brought my breakfast
on a decrepit tray
while summer light
destroyed our veranda lavender
after I had broken my bread
you brought an offering
pharmaceutically exact
you counted out every white pill
like the high priest of narkotika
a small glass of sweet ensure
masked this communion
day by day you marked off the date
on a bent pam golding-calendar
at times I was elated by
this bitter bitter full-moon pill
I could swallow and chew again
lift my arms unclench my fists
it was dawn and I could rise again
from that last morning
***
na ontbyt
Gisela Ullyatt
sedert daardie oggend
bring jy my ontbyt
op ‘n afgeleefde skinkbord
terwyl somerlig
ons stoeplaventel verniel
nadat ek my brood gebreek het
dra jy ‘n offer aan
farmaseuties presies
meet jy elke wit pil af
soos die hoëpriester van narkotika
‘n kelkie soet ensure
verdoesel hierdie nagmaal
dag vir dag merk jy die datum af
op ‘n gebuigde pam golding-almanak
soms verheug ek my in
hierdie bitter bitter volmaanpil
sluk and kou ek nou weer
my arms oplig my vuiste ontbal
dit was môre en ek kon opstaan
uit daardie laaste oggend
Bronverwysing:
Ullyatt, Gisela. 2020. die waarheid oor duiwe. Pretoria: Protea Boekhuis. p. 27.