Benno Barnard

Benno Barnard Poems

Benno Barnard Biography

Benno Barnard originates from Amsterdam, but has lived in Belgium for over thirty years. He made his debut in 1981 with a volume of cerebral romantic poetry. His later collections – influenced by the English poets of the interwar period – are more sober in tone and testify to a historical pessimism; they contain both series of longer poems and mini-epics. After reworking John Dryden’s classical All for Love in Dutch (Liefdeswoede, 1993), he wrote four verse dramas of his own; Mevrouw Appelfeld (2007) is his first prose work for the theatre.)

The Best Poem Of Benno Barnard

A Kiss in Brussels

We stand here freezing in our winter coats,
a kiss prevents my breath from showing white,
my hand slows to a halt in mid caress,
I want to let you go, but not tonight -
my fingers in your hair, the evidence.
Here for a second in this city park,
we're two cold lovers mouthing March,
who kiss as though exchanging quotes.

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