Fragile Balance

’Fragile Balance is a book that presents itself to the reader without fanfare, with the calmness of someone who has learned to listen beyond the noise and bustle of the world. In these short poems, Germain Droogenbroodt continues a quest that runs through much of his work: that of articulating the essential with just the right words, without excess, without ostentation. The title is no accident. In each text, there is a contained tension between what is said and what is suggested, between light and shadow, between language and silence. It is a delicate balance, like that needed to live with depth at a time in history that is changing far too quickly.The voice that unfolds here does not seek to impose meanings, but rather to create space for the reader to think, feel, and contemplate. The poems-some verging on aphorisms, others more evocative or lyrical-are organized as a sequence of meditations that engage with philosophy, politics, the passage of time, the fragility of the human condition and its transcendence.Droogenbroodt achieves the most difficult of feats: writing with clarity and lucidity without resorting to the obvious, and with depth without forsaking the beauty of simplicity. This is, without doubt, one of the reasons why his work has been translated and recognized in so many countries and cultures. This book explores the realm of persistent questions, of intuitions that remain unresolved but which open up new paths. It is a text that can be read from start to finish, but also as one might return to any given page to find a spark of meaning there.Droogenbroodt’s poetry does not need to raise its voice to speak the truth. And that, in these times of clamour and subtle and brutal lies, is a form of resistance. It is also, perhaps, a form of affection, of gentle compassion.English