The long river shifts under the moon The moon shifts wearily over the long river On the long river under the moon, the canoe shifts to the sea
Past the highreeds past the lowgraze the canoe shifts to the sea the canoe shifts with the shifting moon to the sea So they are companions to the sea the canoe the moon and the man Why are the moon and the man shifting so yieldingly to the sea
“Melopee” (1916, Paul van Ostaijen – “Nagelaten gedichten”)