NOT FAR FROM THE ROAD Poem by Gerrit Kouwenaar

Discover the moment, it's empty, it's not far
from the edge of the road, there's nothing behind



the hedge around it so reject its rhyme, break clean
off the docile journey, take over vacancy, occupy



fill in the prospect with stone, man-make light, digest
what ate oneself out of, have nerve for decay



evict eating, have forgetting, re
call no way out, be arrived, weigh nothing



but the lead one mimics, while
folding one's wings open shut while -