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Vicky Francken: A Good Excuse

By Vicky Francken, translated by Paul Vincent
24 January 2020 2 min. reading time Friday Verses

This week’s Friday Verses are written by Vicky Francken. We translated Een goed excuus (A Good Excuse). This poem was first published in Dutch in Het Liegend Konijn, a magazine for contemporary Dutch-language poetry.

Vicky Francken (b. 1989, Boxtel) is a poet and a translator from English and French. Her debut collection Röntgenfotomodel (X-Ray Photo Model), in which the human body is held up to the light and the spirit is dimly visible through it, was awarded the C.Buddingh’ Prize and the Jo Peters Poetry Prize.

A Good Excuse

Emphasise that you’re sorry.
Explain how you could be so wrong.
Make it clear that you’ve left that
misty pinewood behind you.
You’ve reached the point of repentance. Prove it.
You want to make up for your mistake. You’re prepared
to step into their shoes and pay for the damage.
You understand that anger.
You want to listen to it.
You want to talk about it.
You accept it was your fault.
You know it’s unforgivable.
You think it’s terrible too.
You’d do things very differently now.
You’re disgusted with it.
You see the scope of all this.
A seismic shock, a volcanic eruption,
a tsunami. Worse still.
You register the consequences.
You’ll never forgive yourself.
You’ll understand if it’s asking too much.
And still you ask.
You ask for it.

(Dutch version below the photo)

Vicky Nadine 2017 14 Vicky Francken

Een goed excuus

Benadruk dat het je spijt.
Leg uit hoe je zo de mist in kon gaan.
Maak duidelijk dat je dat nevelig naaldbos
nu achter je hebt gelaten.
Je bent tot inkeer gekomen. Bewijs het.
Je wil je fout herstellen. Je bent bereid
om mee te denken en de schade te betalen.
Je begrijpt die boosheid.
Je wil ernaar luisteren.
Je wil erover praten.
Je erkent dat het aan jou lag.
Je weet dat het onvergeeflijk is.
Je vindt het ook verschrikkelijk.
Je zou het nu heel anders doen.
Je baalt ervan.
Je overziet de omvang van dit alles.
Een aardschok, een vulkaanuitbarsting,
een zeebeving. Erger nog.
Je registreert de consequenties.
Je vergeeft het jezelf nooit.
Je snapt het als het te veel gevraagd is.
En toch vraag je het.
Je vraagt erom.

Vicky Nadine 2017 14

Vicky Francken

poet and translator

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