Thursday 1 February 2018

Mangan’s Bay Revisited by Hans van den Bos

Mangan’s Bay Revisited

In the hidden white cottage
monotone ticking
of the meter.
On the table
before the window,
with a view to the green lawn,
pen and paper,
surrounded by books,
are waiting for words.

The autumn wind
whistles around the cottage;
clouds skim along the sky.
Two black dogs
horse about on the grass,
swept interchangeably
by rain and sunlight.

On the deserted beach
the breakers rattle
over coloured pebbles
and bring in loads of kelp
harvested, in bygone days,
by farmers
to fertilize their fields.

Sea and clouds touch each other.
An unexpected sharp cry
of a great black-backed gull
stiffens a lonely grey heron
who then rises gracefully
and disappears
over the blanketed water.

In the cottage
in front of the fire
the two black dogs
are asleep
and the pen
fills the white paper.


Original Title: Terug naar Mangan's Bay

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