GERMAIN DROOGENBROODT

Disenchanted Light

The light of the stars
once a delight to the eye
now causes unrest and fear

perhaps it is metal splinters
the debris left behind
of a failed experiment 

or much worse 
of a bloody war 
the murderous missiles.

A Victim

Not yet closed 
but wide-eyed 
and full of horror
the eyes

pursed the lips
because time was too short
for a farewell greeting
for a last prayer. 
 
Terror

The war is no longer declared but continues. 
The unheard of has become daily.
       —Ingeborg Bachmann

Homes destroyed by missiles
—innocent people, women, children,
killed by terror and the haughty madness
of misleaders.

Unwinged the dove, the truth, 
raped by lies.

From “The Road of Being”, Southern Arizona Press, 2023

Setbacks

There are setbacks in life, so fierce, I don't know anymore!                           —César Vallejo

There are days in life
so roofless and gray
that in their own sadness
they threaten to drown.

Although somewhere
—how or wherever? —
there must be shelter and light
but not always in sight.

From “The Road of Being”, Southern Arizona Press, 2023

GERMAIN DROOGENBROODT is an internationally known poet, yearly invited at the most prestigious international poetry festivals. He is also translator, publisher and promoter of modern international poetry. He wrote short stories and literary reviews, but mainly poetry, so far 17 books, published in 30 countries. His latest poetry collection “The Road of Being” has already been published this year in 7 countries, in English by Taj Mahal Publishing in India and by Southern Arizona Press in the US. “Dancing Butterfly”, his second book of haiku was published in Japan by JUNPA, Kyoto and in Chile by Hebel Ediciones. As founder of the Belgian publishing house POINT Editions he published more than eighty collections of modern, international poetry, organised and co-organised several international poetry festivals in Spain, co-founder and advisor of JUNPA (Japan Universal Poets Association), general counsel of the Chinese cultural Association Huifeng, International Shanghai and founding president of the Spanish cultural foundation ITHACA. Several famous artists, such as the Indian Satish Gupta, made paintings inspired by his poetry and also music was composed to his poems. He set up the internationally greatly appreciated project Poetry without Borders, publishing twice a month a modern poem from all over the world in 37 languages.  Germain Droogenbroodt visited countless times the Far East and studied Chinese philosophy which inspired his poetry. The Chinese pretend his poetry is Taoist, the Japanese who published five collections of his poetry, including two of haiku, pretend his poetry is ZEN. Germain Droogenbroodt received dozens of international poetry awards as poet and as promotor of international poetry. He was recommended for the Nobel prize of Literature 2017.