Visiting a museum
I see my mother
on the other side
of the window.
She is about thirty.
Five years before my birth.
She's in a desert -
The heat must be unbearable.
There are sharp rocks,
spiders, lizards,
snakes, scorpions.
She is wearing
a bikini. Her skin
is full of blisters.
She ages full blast.
Then she explodes
as simple as
a soap bubble.
There is a rattle
and her bleached
bones fall to the
ground.
What is all this?
Someone tells me
it is closing time.
I walk towards
the exit, get my
coat and hat.
It is almost dark
and a drizzle spoils
the walk home.
Joop Bersee was born in The Netherlands in 1958. His work has
been published in different countries and in a translation. He's not looking
for a publisher and works in a library in Amsterdam.