Ingrid de Kok
TERRESTRIAL THINGS Poems Ingrid de Kok
Kwela/Snailpress
Acknowledgements I would like to thank the Rockefeller Foundation for granting me a residency in 1999 at the Bellagio Study and Conference Centre in Italy. The period spent there was invaluable. Thanks are also due to the University of Cape Town which awarded me four months of study and research leave in 2001 to complete the book. Acknowledgements are due to the following journals and books, in which some of these poems originally appeared: A Writing Life: Celebrating Nadine Gordimer; Atlanta Review; Carapace; Connect; Crossings: Three Cape Town Poets; Illuminations; New Coin; New Contrast; Sulphur; Rapport (Afrikaans translation by Antjie Krog); Lo Straniero (Italian translation by Paola Splendore). Published by KWELA, P O Box 6525, Roggebaai, 8012, South Africa in association with SNAILPRESS, 30 Firfield Road, Plumstead, 7800, South Africa © Ingrid de Kok 2002 First edition, first printing 2002 ISBN 0-7957-0146-2 Also by Ingrid de Kok Familiar Ground (Ravan Press, 1988, reprinted 1991) Transfer (Snailpress, 1997, reprinted 1998) All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the publisher. Cover artwork ‘Harvestime’ by Jane Alexander Cover design and typesetting by User Friendly Set in 10 on 12 point Palatino Printed and bound by Mills Litho, Maitland, Cape Town, 7405
A room full of questions
Parts of speech Some stories don’t want to be told. They walk away, carrying their suitcases held together with grey string. Look at their disappearing curved spines. Hunchbacks. Harmed ones. Hold-alls. Some stories refuse to be danced or mimed, drop their scuffed canes and clattering tap-shoes, erase their traces in nursery rhymes or ancient games like blindman’s buff. And at
Kwela/Snailpress
Acknowledgements I would like to thank the Rockefeller Foundation for granting me a residency in 1999 at the Bellagio Study and Conference Centre in Italy. The period spent there was invaluable. Thanks are also due to the University of Cape Town which awarded me four months of study and research leave in 2001 to complete the book. Acknowledgements are due to the following journals and books, in which some of these poems originally appeared: A Writing Life: Celebrating Nadine Gordimer; Atlanta Review; Carapace; Connect; Crossings: Three Cape Town Poets; Illuminations; New Coin; New Contrast; Sulphur; Rapport (Afrikaans translation by Antjie Krog); Lo Straniero (Italian translation by Paola Splendore). Published by KWELA, P O Box 6525, Roggebaai, 8012, South Africa in association with SNAILPRESS, 30 Firfield Road, Plumstead, 7800, South Africa © Ingrid de Kok 2002 First edition, first printing 2002 ISBN 0-7957-0146-2 Also by Ingrid de Kok Familiar Ground (Ravan Press, 1988, reprinted 1991) Transfer (Snailpress, 1997, reprinted 1998) All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the publisher. Cover artwork ‘Harvestime’ by Jane Alexander Cover design and typesetting by User Friendly Set in 10 on 12 point Palatino Printed and bound by Mills Litho, Maitland, Cape Town, 7405
A room full of questions
Parts of speech Some stories don’t want to be told. They walk away, carrying their suitcases held together with grey string. Look at their disappearing curved spines. Hunchbacks. Harmed ones. Hold-alls. Some stories refuse to be danced or mimed, drop their scuffed canes and clattering tap-shoes, erase their traces in nursery rhymes or ancient games like blindman’s buff. And at