UNIVERSAL HORIZONS: NEIL LEADBEATER (UNITED KINGDOM)

The Early Arrival of Poems

For the most part
they are the unexpected nigh tlandings –
rarely the scheduled flights.

These are the planes from Rio, São Paulo,
Caracas and Lima
who come like ghosts in the middle of the
night.

And with them come
the rufous motmots and the horned
screamers,
the acrobats in the tree-tops;
the raucous call of the mealy parrot,
the nine-banded armadillo and a
dusky Jacobin.

One by one I call them in.


De vroege aankomst van gedichten

Meestal
zijn zij de onverwachte nachtlandingen-
zelden de geplande vluchten.

Het zijn de vliegtuigen uit Rio, São Paolo,
Caracas en Lima
die als geesten opdoemen in het holst van de
nacht.

En daarmee komen
de scharrelaarvogels en de gehorende
hoenderkoetens,
de acrobaten in de boomkruinen;
de rauwe kreet van de grote amazonepapegaai
het negenbandig gordeldier en een
kapduif.

Eén voor één roep ik ze bij me.

Profile. Profil

Neal Leadbeater (1951, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom). Author, essayist, poet and critic now living in Edinburgh, Scotland. His work, which has been translated into several languages, has been published widely in magazines and anthologies both at home and abroad. His publications include the books Hoarding Conkers at Hailes Abbey (Littoral Press, 2010, England);Librettos for the Black Madonna (White Adder Press, 2011, Scotland); The Worcester Fragments (Original Plus, 2013, England); The Loveliest Vein of Our Lives (Poetry Space, 2014, England); three books published by Bibliotheca Universalis, Romania: The Fragility of Moths (2015); Sleeve Notes (2016) and Ports of Call (2016). His latest publication is Finding the River Horse (Littoral Press, 2017). With Sally Evans he co-edited the Anthology of Scottish Poets (Bibliotheca Universalis, 2016, Romania). He is a regular reviewer for several journals including Galatea Resurrects (A Poetry Engagement) (USA) and Write Out Loud (UK). Published in CLH: 3, 4/2011, 4, 5/2012, Ant. 3/2012,  2, 4, 6/2013, 2, 3, 6/2014, 1, 2, 5/2015, 2, 3, 4, 5/2016, 5/2017.

Neil Leadbeater (1951, Wolverhampton, Regatul Unit). Autor, eseist, poet şi critic literar din Edinburgh, Scoţia. Creaţia sa, tradusă în mai multe limbi, a fost publicată în reviste şi antologii din ţară şi din străinătate. Scrieri publicate: Hoarding Conkers at Hailes Abbey (Littoral Press, 2010, Anglia), Librettos for the Black Madonna (White Adder Press, 2011, Scoţia), The Worcester Fragments (Original Plus, 2013, Anglia), The Loveliest Vein of Our Lives (Poetry Space, 2014, Anglia); trei cărţi publicate în colecţia “Bibliotheca Universalis”, România: The Fragility of Moths. Fragilitatea moliilor (2015), Sleeve Notes. Adnotări (2016) şi Ports of Call. Escale (2016). Cea mai recentă carte a sa este Finding the River Horse (Littoral Press, 2017). În colaborare cu Sally Evans a coordonat lucrarea Antologie de poeţi scoţieni (“Bibliotheca Universalis”, 2016). Colaborează cu regularitate la revistele “Galatea Resurrects (A Poetry Engagement)” (USA) şi “Write Out Loud” (UK). Publicat în OLC: 3, 4/2011, 4, 5/2012, Ant. 3/2012,  2, 4, 6/2013, 2, 3, 6/2014, 1, 2, 5/2015, 2, 3, 4, 5/2016, 5/2017.

Dutch version by Albert Hagenaars (The Netherlands)