Dripping shirts, back then,

on the lines in the attic --


and bits of your face.


Druppende hemdenTropfende Wäsche,
aan de waslijn op zolder --damals auf dem Dachboden --
en half jouw gezicht.und halb dein Gesicht.

 Poem H4419
 Amsterdam, 2023-12-31
 In a play (The girl in the fur) (Nits) - 1987
 Song "In a play (Das Mädchen im Pelz)" (album "In the Dutch mountains")
 Tribute to: Nits 
 Tribute to: Hofstede, Henk 
 Collection: Inwardings 


The dear family

photo, with a golden edge --


of melancholy.


Lieve familie-Das Familien-
foto, met een gouden rand --Foto, mit goldenem Rand --
een lijst van weemoed.Rahmen der Wehmut.

 Poem H4386
 Amsterdam, 2023-12-20
 Photo (Herman de Coninck) - 1980
 Poem "Foto" (collection "Met een klank van hobo")
 Tribute to: De Coninck, Herman 
 Collection: Em Brace 


Zywa An avenue in the palace garden

A girl passed by, the sound I heard
was fast and flashy like a bird's
A shining flower in her hair
a new song dancing in the air

Perhaps her very heart could twine
on me and then unite with mine
And coming in my depths of night
her glance would put me in the light!

But too outdated is my head...
Farewell, sweet ray that shines on me
your perfume, youth, the harmony...
This happiness had to pass. It fled!

 Poem 5265
 Amsterdam, 2023-07-21
 An avenue in Luxembourg Park (Gérard de Nerval) - 1832
 Poem "Une allée au Luxembourg" (collection "Odelettes", 1834/1853)
 Tribute to: De Nerval, Gerard 
 Collection: Reaching out 


Zywa Baltimore

Crippled, skinny gull
puddles in the potholes
of empty streets

holes in the walls
the school closed, no one
who could leave stayed

after the riots
no one who was released
from the cells

Losses have been taken
suitcases packed
the water shut off

Old town, dead harbour
where I was at home and would
have liked to come back

clean your white stairs
turn on your lights, please
turn on, turn on again

 Poem 5182
 Amsterdam, 2023-05-11
 Baltimore (Randy Newman) - 1977
 Song "Baltimore" (1977, Randy Newman, album "Little Criminals", 1978 sung by Nina Simone)
 Tribute to: Newman, Randy 
 Tribute to: Simone, Nina 
 Collection: Moons 


Oh, these good old days...

how elusively little --


is left of them now.


Goede oude tijd...Gute alte Zeit...
wat is er toch ongrijpbaar --davon ist nur schwer fassbar --
weinig van over.weniges übrig.

 Poem H3774
 Amsterdam, 2023-03-26
 The Office - Failure (Han Voskuil) - 2000
 Novel "Het Bureau - Afgang"
Page 112, Maarten Koning at the Stamp Market (near Dam Square) (1983)

 Tribute to: Voskuil, Han 
 Collection: Not too bad 


I was a fan, sweet

memories I have, always --


I shall fancy those.


Ik was fan, zoeteIch war ein Fan, und
herinneringen heb ik --werde es bleiben, ein Fan --
Daar blijf ik fan van.der Erinnerung.

 Poem H3212
 Amsterdam, 2022-03-02
 Valeri Ojf (Marcel van Roosmalen) - 2022
 Column (in nrc on March 2nd, 2022)
 Tribute to: Van Roosmalen, Marcel 
 Collection: After the festivities 


The memory keeps

on smouldering in the breath --


of my longing heart.


De herinneringDie Erinnerung
blijft smeulen in de adem --bleibt schwelen im Atem--
van mijn verlangen.meines Verlangens.

 Poem H3067
 Amsterdam, 2021-10-16
 Collection: Heart's Delight 


Still yesterday, still

full of the plans, hovering --


in the air somewhere.


Nog steeds gisteren,Immer noch gestern,
vol van de plannen, ergens --voller Pläne, irgendwo --
hangend in de lucht.schwebend in der Luft.

 Poem S1115
 Amsterdam, 2020-12-28
 Nog steeds gisteren (Charles Aznavour) - 1964
 Song "Hier encore"
 Tribute to: Aznavour, Charles 
 Collection: After the festivities 


In my head, we are

still there, sitting in the wind --


of your sweet stories.


In mijn hoofd zit jijIn meinem Kopf wehst
daar nog, om ons waait de wind --du immer noch die Winde --
van jouw verhalen.deiner Geschichten.

 Poem H2755
 Amsterdam, 2020-06-27
 Tides (Herman Leenders) - 2005
 Poem "Getijden" (in "Hollands Maandblad" (2005/2) and in the collection "Vervalsingen")
 Tribute to: Leenders, Herman 
 Collection: Shelter 


I want everything

as it was in my childhood --


inside the fence boards.


Liefst wil ik allesIch möchte alles
zoals het was in mijn jeugd --so, wie in meiner Kindheit --
binnen de schutting.innerhalb des Zauns.

 Poem S1022
 Amsterdam, 2020-06-09
 Behind the fence (Ingmar Heytze) - 2008
 Poem "Achter de schutting" (collection "Elders in de wereld")
 Tribute to: Heytze, Ingmar 
 Collection: Shelter 


 Poem 2670
 Amsterdam, 2020-02-03
 Amarcord (Oh, I remember - Federico Fellini) - 1973
 Film "Amarcord" ("Ah, mi ricardo" / "Oh, I remember")
 Tribute to: Fellini, Federico 
 Collection: Moons 


Zywa Fado on the Lima

At the bridge under the Garden
of Poets, I sit and chew
on the world as it is
I see the people go
young, tired, or recklessly
defying the patron saint
that dangles from the interior mirror
Late in the evening they walk on the side
with packs or down timber
on their heads, crosses around their neck
on the shoulders of their souls
and as hangers in the wardrobe

The Symbol is everywhere
On the square it has holes
of the nails, living water
spouts from the copper
The redemption will come later
people are in a miserable state
I can see it on the faces
of Jesus in the stores
Sadly he looks at me
For sale for little money

 Poem 2425
 Amsterdam, 2019-09-24
 Portugal, April-May 1990
Ponte da Barca, on the river Lima
Bom Jesús do Monte, Braga
Serra de Leomil, Serra da Estrela

 Collection: Secrets & Believers 


Zywa The caravans tell

This year's caravans tell
   that the Great Queen is buried
   with great honour, oh, mama
   without me

This year's caravans tell
   that the Sun King is ill
   his wife too, and people whisper

   that the gods are punishing them
   that they are just humans
   that everyone knows what comes

   of inbreeding, oh little brother
   oh my dear sister, hard
   is your destiny, the Sun is too high

   too far from our family, here as well
   in the middle country where I got
   stuck with the returnees

This year's caravans tell
   that the Sun has been bannished
   from the name of the king

   that he is pale and feverish, with a club
   foot and the backbone of a snake
   pushing itself forward with a stick

   My nephew – I don't know you, people say
   that you are as beautiful as Nefertiti was –
   I pray heaven to take pity on you

This year's caravans tell
   that the queen-widow only
   has her grandfather to marry her

   The king of the north doesn't answer
   her letter, her request for a man next to her
   on the throne that cannot be saved

 Poem 2311
 Amsterdam, 2019-06-27
 1338 BC Queen Tiye dies; she is the mother of Moses (Thut-mosis)
1334 BC Sun King Echn-Aten, Moses' brother, dies
1330 BC Pharaoh Tut-ankh-Aten, Moses' nephew, changes his name to Tut-ankh-Amon; Nefertiti is their half-sister
1323 BC Ankh-es-en-Amon, the wife of Tuth-ankh-Amon and the grand-daughter of sister and brother Tiye and Ay, writes to King Šuppiluliuma I of Hatti: "My husband died and I have no sons. Allegedly you have many sons. You could give me one of your sons as a husband. I would not marry any of my subjects."

 Collection: From Sacred Scriptures [1] 


Here I have lived, where

now my house no longer is --


though I keep looking.


Hier heb ik gewoond,Hier hab ich gelebt,
waar nu mijn huis niet meer staat --wo jetzt mein Haus nicht mehr steht --
al blijf ik zoeken.Ich suche weiter.

 Poem S0899
 Amsterdam, 2019-06-24
 Place (Rutger Kopland) - 2004
 Poem "Plek" (collection "Een man in de tuin")
 Tribute to: Kopland, Rutger 
 Collection: VacantVoid 


Candlelight evenings

together: melancholic --


tenderness, alone.


Onze avondenDiesen Kerzenlicht--
bij kaarslicht: weemoedige --abend: melancholische --
tederheid, alleen.Zärtlichkeit, allein.

 Poem H2404
 Amsterdam, 2019-02-23
 Tenderly (Leos Janacek)
 Composition "Nèžn?"
 Composer:  
 Collection: org anp ark 


I'm melancholy,

though not for what has been, but --


for what should have been.


Weemoed: niet om hoeWehmut, nicht für wie
het is geweest, maar om hoe --es war, sondern für wie es --
het had moeten zijn.hätte sein sollen.

 Poem S0715
 Amsterdam, 2018-05-18
 Leaving. And coming back (Herman de Coninck) - 1979
 Poem "Weggaan. En terugkomen" (in Revolver (year 9, number 1, 1979)
 Tribute to: De Coninck, Herman 
 Collection: Shortages 


Zywa Smelling how it was

Dear old apple tree
tender snow-white dream
precious memory

spring is sweet tonight
being brought to me
in the fading light
the world was young

     The earth turns day by day
     life is going fast
     another April, another May

     I walk the ancient track
     and everything comes back
     so it's already over
     and that may set us free

Dear old apple tree
snow-white blossom sea
with the swing that sighs
and the butterflies

lying in the grass
smelling how it was
when the blackbird sang
the world was young

 Poem 1695
 Amsterdam, 2018-02-27
 The world was young / The apple tree (Hildegard Knef) - 1964
 Song "Die Welt war jung" / "Der Apfelbaum" (1964, Max Colpet), redrafting of "Le chevalier de Paris" (1950, Angèle Marie Thérèse Vannier), sung by Hildegard Knef
 Tribute to: Knef, Hildegard 
 Collection: Reaching out 


Zywa Different springs

One day melancholy came
to live in me
you are lonely

she said
you see the people
passing

and you think
they live
with hands and feet

you miss that
without knowing
your longing

maybe for the atmospheres
of the past
the different springs

when the days were new
you were immortal
and the world was yours

 Poem 1209
 Amsterdam, 2017-03-13
 Collection: Webgarden 


 Poem 1154
 Amsterdam, 2017-03-07
 Return (Alfredo le Pera) - 1935
 Song "Volver"
 Tribute to: Le Pera, Alfredo 
 Collection: Moons 


Zywa Diamonds

Our relationship faded to some

words loaded with feelings
around a heartful of rust
Beautiful memories

The colour of your eyes

That first time, lost
in each other, together
we found the way

Everything you are good at

that you have to let go anyway
Gifts without pretension
given hand in hand

for the hotel, in falling leaves

Breathing clouds without text
Snowflakes adorn our hair
It might last forever

 Poem 837
 Amsterdam, 2016-11-20
 Diamonds and rust (Joan Baez) - 1975
 Song about her relationship with Bob Dylan
 Tribute to: Dylan, Bob 
 Tribute to: Baez, Joan 
 Collection: Great Flow 


I read a letter

and I read another one --


until it is dark.


Ik neem weer een briefIch las einen Brief
en ik lees en ik herlees --und ich las wieder einen --
tot het donker is.bis zur Dunkelheit.

 Poem H0850
 Amsterdam, 2014-03-07
 In the evening (Konstantinos Kaváfis) - 1917
 Poem 064. "En espéra"
 Tribute to: Kavafis, Konstantinos 
 Collection: Shelter 


The little donkey:

proudly young eyes on high legs.


Once, I was like that.


De ezel: jongeDer Esel: junge
ogen op hoge benen.Augen auf hohen Beinen.
Eens was ik ook zo.Ich war einmal so.

 Poem H0802
 Amsterdam, 2014-02-25
 The little donkey (M. Vasalis) - 1940
 Poem "Het ezeltje" (collection "Parken en woestijnen")
 Tribute to: Vasalis, M. 
 Collection: Inwardings 


People cherish all

the beauty they imagine --


in Warehouse Wistful.


Mensen koesterenDie Menschen hegen
al het moois dat ze denken --das Schöne, was sie denken --
in Pakhuis Weemoed.im Speicher Wehmut.

 Poem S0105
 Amsterdam, 2013-10-10
 Collection: From Sacred Scriptures [1] 

Zywa
Keywords
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