Geart Tigchelaar was the RIXT Poet of the Month in Februari. You can find the translation of his poem ‘emergency kit’ below. His original Frisian poems are linked here.
emergency kit
we lived in the same village for years
never saw you in all those years
we were warned by the government
neighbour and the geopolitical situation
you believed it all
I shrugged my shoulders
like always
you were right again of course
I only conceded afterwards
we lived in the same house for years
never saw you in all those years
it was after the blast
you walked towards me
in gas mask and bikini
as if I saw you for the first time
it was the blast that wiped away everything
it was the blast that united us
© Geart Tigchelaar
translation: Trevor Scarse