Ypie Bakker was the RIXT poet of the month in August. You can read her original Frisian poems from that month here. The translation of one of them – ‘creation’ – is published here.
creation everything was already encapsulated within the stone the child yet an embryo frozen in its mother’s womb the little girl still fossil from a lost age the fragile woman a lady delicate yet forceful they were waiting you saw and perceived felt and formed hewed away hardness smoothed out rough edges weight became lighter ballast became dust you blew it away a load fell from your shoulders it was done lady, girl germ of a child sparkle in the light © Ypie Bakker translation: Trevor Scarse