Have waded through marshes Poem by Peter Verhelst

Have waded through marshes
human or otherwise
have waded through woods
through fields of cobwebs
have stood on the plain for days
with outstretched arms
rubbed in with glue or saliva
and was set upon by everything with wings
have taken what I could and understood what I could not
forget
have never been lonely
have tried it nonetheless
it was stronger than myself
have never learned to forgive myself for it
came in through one mouth
and was thrown out through the other mouth
and meanwhile I was clad
with everything I could not
forget
have finally realised that there is nothing to realise
except for the urge to jump up and down
incessantly and stubbornly jump up and down
beyond reason and beyond fatigue and beyond hope
and during that movement hold up both my hands to you
and the realisation that you could not be brought
by any means whatsoever
even if it were only just the once
to lift a single finger for me.