Everything changes,
and I, do I like to be
different? with you?
Alles verandert,	Alles ändert sich,
en ik, wil ik anders zijn?	und ich, will ich anders sein?
en kan dat bij jou?	und geht das bei dir?

Poem H0046
Amsterdam, 2011-11-30
Keyword: Identity: change 

The child falls asleep
in the warm bed, with the voice --
of fairy granny.
In het warme bed	Im warmen Bett schläft
slaapt het kind in bij de stem --	das Kind ein bei der Stimme --
van oma de fee.	von Oma die Fee.

Poem H0135
Amsterdam, 2012-01-13
With a photo of Dory with an umbrella (July 9th, 2007, Willisau)


Keywords: Family: grandma / grandpa, Womanly (fairy / nymph) 
Dedicated to: Dory dK, Madelief dK 

What I would do, I
mudt, and hope, want, shall, can, may --
begin to do now.
Wat ik zou doen, moet	Was ich tun würde,
en hoop, wil, zal, kan, mag ik --	muss, hoffe, will, kann und darf --
nu al beginnen.	ich jetzt beginnen.

Poem H0376
Amsterdam, 2012-10-26
Keyword: Action (duty) 

I do love people
without understanding why --
they do what they do.
Ik houd van mensen	Ich liebe Menschen,
zonder te weten waarom --	ohne zu wissen, warum --
zij doen wat ze doen.	sie tun, was sie tun.

Poem H0428
Amsterdam, 2013-03-21
Keywords: Human: fellow man, Love: unity / universal 

Snowflakes are floating
between the blossoming trees --
Like flower petals.
Sneeuwvlokken zweven	Schneeflocken schweben
tussen de appelbomen --	zwischen den Apfelbäumen --
Als bloesemblaadjes.	Wie Blütenblätter.

Poem H0453
Gondiswil, 2013-05-24
Keywords: Nature: trees, forest, Snow 

Show what can be done
better, and for the future --
just hope for the best.
Laat zien wat beter	Zeige mögliche
kan, en hoop voor de toekomst --	Verbesserungen auf und --
er het beste van.	wünsche das Beste.

Poem H1943
Amsterdam, 2017-12-30
Keyword: Child: evolvement 

Competition is
only good for young people --
It is growing up.
Concurreren is	Wettbewerb ist nur
alleen voor jonge mensen:	etwas für junge Leute:
volwassen worden.	Erwachsenwerden.

Poem H1944
Amsterdam, 2017-12-30
Keywords: Ambition, Teenager (growing up) 

We step into the
water surface and walk deep --
into the beach clouds.
De waterspiegel	Wir durchbrechen den
breken we, diep lopen we --	Wasserspiegel, tief in die --
	Strandwolken hinein.

Poem H2013
Zandvoort aan Zee, 2018-02-02
Keywords: Fantasy: imagination, Mirror 

Cauliflower, figs,
the dissecting room Kitchen:
I cut brains and hearts.
Bloemkool en vijgen,	Blumenkohl, Feigen,
de keuken is mijn snijzaal:	die Anatomieküche:
hersenen, harten.	Gehirn und Herzen.

Poem H2752
Amsterdam, 2020-06-24
Keyword: Fantasy: associations 

Oh, I love dancers,
their swinging and their sweating:
I dance in my seat!
Ik houd van dansers,	Ich liebe Tänzer,
hun zwieren en hun zweten:	ihr Schwingen und ihr Schwitzen:
ik dans zittend mee!	sitzend tanze ich!

Poem H3138
Amsterdam, 2021-12-02
Keyword: Fantasy: imagination 

Whatever reasons
we suggest, we will do it --
mainly for ourselves.
Welke redenen	Trotz der Gründe, die
we ook noemen, we doen het --	wir ernennen, wir tun es --
vooral voor onszelf.	zumeist für uns selbst.

Poem H3170
Amsterdam, 2022-01-06
Keyword: Ethics: practice 

I do, yes I do,
but it has to be my way --
otherwise I'll leave.
Ik wil, ja ik wil,	Ich will, ja ich will,
maar dan wel op mijn manier --	wenn es auf meine Art geht --
anders ga ik weg.	ansonsten ist's aus.

Poem H3237
Amsterdam, 2022-03-24
Keyword: Willpower 

I like to do it
in the spotlight. Do you think --
I'm looking at you?
Ja, ik doe het graag	Ich tu es gerne
in de spotlights. Wat denk jij?	im Rampenlicht. Was denkst du?
Dat ik naar jou kijk?	Ich sehe dich an?

Poem H3266
Amsterdam, 2022-04-08
Crew Slut (Frank Zappa) - 1979
Song (album "Joe's Garage")
Valentina Bruno in the Frank Zappa Tribute band "2000 Motels" (Q-Factory in Amsterdam, April 8^th, 2022)
Keyword: In love: allurement 
Tribute to: Zappa, Frank 
Composer: Zappa, Frank 
Dedicated to: Valentina Bruno 

The chimneys suck up
the heat, with the cool vapour --
of running water.
Schoorstenen zuigen	Schornsteine saugen
de hitte af, met de damp --	die Hitze ab, mit dem Dampf --
van stromend water.	aus frischem Wasser.

Poem H3382
Amsterdam, 2022-07-14
Alhambra
Keywords: Technics (operation), Home: furnishing 

In chilly regions
people wear very thin clothes --
in heated houses.
In koude streken	In kalten Orten
draagt men heel dunne kleren --	trägt man sehr dünne Kleidung --
in warme kamers.	in warmen Räumen.

Poem H3546
Amsterdam, 2022-10-29
Keyword: Culture: way of living 

The riches we have
are limited, we want more --
attention, on call.
Ach, onze rijkdom	Nun, unser Wohlstand
is beperkt, we willen meer --	ist begrenzt, wir wollen viel --
aandacht, op afroep.	mehr Aufmerksamkeit.

Poem H3560
Amsterdam, 2022-11-01
Keyword: Attention: exist 

Freedom is loving
differences, not having --
to put on an act.
Vrijheid is liefde	Freiheit: Liebe zur
voor verschil, is geen toneel --	Differenz, keine Rolle --
te hoeven spelen.	spielen zu müssen.

Poem H3563
Amsterdam, 2022-11-04
Freedom from conformism
Keywords: Freedom: self-determination, Love: Give To Be 

Embrace-like we look
at each other silently:
you are a great gift.
Als een omarming	Umarmungsartig
kijken we elkaar stil aan:	schauen wir uns schweigend an:
jij bent een cadeau.	du bist ein Geschenk.

Poem H4291
Amsterdam, 2023-11-19
Keywords: Gratitude, Amsterdam 
Dedicated to: Femke H 

The air between us
blows into us at times, then --
we touch each other.
Veel lucht tussen ons,	Viel Luft zwischen uns,
bij vlagen waait hij binnen --	dann und wann weht sie in uns --
raken we elkaar.	berühren wir uns.

Poem H4292
Amsterdam, 2023-11-19
Keyword: Friendship: bond 
Dedicated to: Maria Godschalk 

Wisdom is knowing
what is important and how --
you intend to live.
Wijsheid is weten	Weisheit ist: Wissen,
wat belangrijk is en hoe --	was wichtig ist und wie du --
je zelf wilt leven.	selbst leben möchtest.

Poem H5401
Amsterdam, 2025-04-24
Memoir of a Snail (Adam Elliot) - 2024
With a photo from the animated film "Memoir of a Snail" - Pinky


Keyword: Wisdom 
Tribute to: Elliot, Adam 
Dedicated to: Lotte W 

On the climbing frame
you learn, you can't keep going --
higher and higher.
Op het klimtoestel	Das Kletterhaus lehrt
leer je dat je niet alsmaar --	dich, dass man nicht immerzu --
hogerop kunt gaan.	höher hinaus kann.

Poem H5481
Amsterdam, 2025-05-21
With a photo of Madelief on a climbing house (September 4th, 2004, Wolhusen)


Keyword: Playing: learn 
Dedicated to: Madelief dK 

In good weather we
go out boating through life in --
the family pen.
Bij goed weer spele-	Bei schönem Wetter
varen we door het leven --	gondeln wir durchs Leben im --
in de gezinskooi.	Familienkahn.

Poem H5493
Amsterdam, 2025-05-23
With a photo of a family in a floating playpen on the Jacob van Lennepkanaal (April 7th, 2018, Amsterdam)


Keywords: Family: household, AmsterdamF, Freedom: connection 
Dedicated to: Lotte W, Madelief dK 

Yeah, that's my mother,
very cool, my role model --
together with dad.
Dat is mijn moeder,	Guck, meine Mutter,
ze is heel stoer, mijn voorbeeld --	sie ist sehr cool, mein Vorbild --
met papa erbij.	mit meinem Papa.

Poem H5497
Amsterdam, 2025-05-24
With a photo of Michi and Pieter taken during a video call (January 26th, 2014, Grossdietwil)


Keyword: Parenthood 
Dedicated to: Lotte W 

She fancies writing
even though she can't read yet --
but watch, she can type.
Schrijven vindt ze leuk,	Sie schreibt gern, obwohl
al kan ze nog niet lezen --	sie nicht lesen kann, aber --
maar typen kan ze.	sie kann schon tippen.

Poem H5498
Amsterdam, 2025-05-24
With a photo of Florentin and Lotte taken during a video call (February 15th, 2014, Grossdietwil) - Lotte is 2 years old


Keyword: Playing: learn 
Dedicated to: Lotte W 

That's a question! How
can I quickly find out what --
I think about that?
Daar vraag je me wat!	Das ist mal eine
Hoe kom ik gauw te weten --	Frage! Wie weiß ich schnell, was --
wat ik daarvan vind?	ich davon halte?

Poem H5501
Amsterdam, 2025-05-24
With a photo of Madelief taken during a video call (September 28th, 2014, Grossdietwil)


Keyword: Thinking (clear) 
Dedicated to: Madelief dK 

I like to camp here
in my tent behind the bed --
where I sleep at night.
Ik bivakkeer graag	Ich zelte gerne
in mijn tent achter het bed --	hinter dem Bett, in dem ich --
waar ik 's nachts in slaap.	nachts schlafen gehe.

Poem H5502
Amsterdam, 2025-05-24
With a photo of Lotte taken during a video call (November 30th, 2014, Grossdietwil)


Keyword: Playing: adventure 
Dedicated to: Lotte W 

Let's go, my pony,
out of here quickly, away --
from that young stallion.
Vooruit, mijn paardje,	Voraus, mein Pferdchen,
we gaan er gauw vandoor, weg --	lass uns schnell abhauen, weg --
van die jonge hengst.	von dem jungen Hengst.

Poem H5503
Amsterdam, 2025-05-24
With a photo of Madelief, Florentin, and Lotte taken during a video call (December 7th, 2014, Grossdietwil)


Keyword: Playing: fight 
Dedicated to: Lotte W, Madelief dK, Florentin dK 

Dad understands me,
he asks precise questions, yes --
he thinks carefully.
Papa begrijpt me,	Papa versteht mich,
hij stelt precieze vragen --	er stellt präzise Fragen --
ja, hij denkt goed na.	ja, er denkt gut nach.

Poem H5505
Amsterdam, 2025-05-24
With photos of Lotte and Pieter taken during a video call (January 22nd, 2015 and May 14th, 2017, Grossdietwil)




Keyword: Parents: father(hood) 
Dedicated to: Lotte W 

Scouting: the balance
of ideals and realism --
we call helpfulness.
Scouting: een balans	Die Pfadfinderei:
van grote idealen --	aus großen Idealen --
en realisme.	und Realismus.

Poem H5520
Amsterdam, 2025-05-28
With a photo of Paul as a cub scout (1962, Tilburg)


Keyword: Child: evolvement 
Dedicated to: Lotte W 

Grandpa: a giant.
At his house, things are smaller --
than at our house. Why?
Opa is een reus.	Opa: ein Riese.
Waarom is bij hem alles --	Warum ist bei ihm alles --
kleiner dan bij ons?	kleiner als bei uns?

Poem H5522
Amsterdam, 2025-05-28
With a photo of Pieter with his grandfather Frans dK (1964, Oirschot)


Keywords: Child: thinking, Family: grandma / grandpa 
Dedicated to: Lotte W, Madelief dK, Pieter W 

Dad is standing tough
in the surf, so are we, mum --
and I, and my doll.
Papa staat heel stoer	Papa steht ganz cool
in de branding, mama ook --	in der Brandung, Mama auch --
en ik, en mijn pop.	und ich, und Puppe.

Poem H5540
Amsterdam, 2025-05-30
With a photo of Pieter, Michi, and Lotte W in the North Sea (August 5th, 2016, Noordwijk)


Keywords: Parents: father(hood), Sea 
Dedicated to: Lotte W 

I want to practise,
it is fun to learn a lot --
it's fun to crack codes.
Ik wil oefenen,	Ich möchte üben,
het is leuk om te leren --	es macht Spaß, viel zu lernen --
codes te kraken.	Codes zu knacken.

Poem H5543
Amsterdam, 2025-05-31
With a photo of Pieter and Lotte playing chess (October 30th, 2019, Grossdietwil)


Keywords: Exercise / Training, Knowledge: gain 
Dedicated to: Lotte W 

Rigi, the Fuji
of Küssnacht, with bare branches --
reaching for the snow.
Rigi, de Fuji	Rigi, der Fuji
van Küssnacht, kale takken --	von Küssnacht, kahle Zweige --
reiken naar de sneeuw.	greifen nach dem Schnee.

Poem H5549
Amsterdam, 2025-05-31
With a photo of Mount Rigi (February 9th, 2008, Walchwil)
The name Küssnacht ('Kissnight') comes from the Latin: Cossiniacus = Estate of Cossinius


Keywords: Nature: landscape, Snow 
Dedicated to: Madelief dK 

Behind daddy's back,
covered by mama, I'm safe --
and look around me.
Achter papa's rug,	Auf Papas Rücken,
gedekt door mama, veilig --	von Mama gedeckt, sicher --
om me heen kijken.	schaue ich mich um.

Poem H5561
Amsterdam, 2025-06-01
With a photo of Pieter W, and Maart and Madelief dK on the Prinsengracht, with a view of the Westerkerk (October 22nd, 2000, Amsterdam)




Keywords: Child: baby, Attention: observe 
Dedicated to: Maart dK, Madelief dK, Pieter W 

Thanks to me, daddy
discovers the world, so much --
he didn't see before.
Dankzij mij ontdekt	Ich zeige Papa
papa de wereld, heel veel --	die Welt, vieles, was er noch --
zag hij niet eerder.	nicht gesehen hat.

Poem H5562
Amsterdam, 2025-06-01
With a photo of Pieter and Madelief in the replica of the Amsterdam (July 30th, 2005, Amsterdam)


Keywords: Life: discover / explore, AmsterdamF, Tourism 
Dedicated to: Pieter W, Madelief dK 

The drowned grass is soft,
it is a play pond, more fun --
than the too big lake.
Het verdronken gras	Das ertränkte Gras
is zacht, een speelplas, leuker --	ist ein Spielteich, macht mehr Spaß --
dan het grote meer.	als der große See.

Poem H5565
Amsterdam, 2025-06-01
With a photo of Madelief and Florentin in a puddle (July 16th, 2009, Cásoro, on Lake Lugano)


Keywords: Nature: garden, park, Playing: fun 
Dedicated to: Florentin dK, Madelief dK 

A movie: sitting
still, watching all kinds of lives --
you don't live yourself.
Een film: stil zitten	Ein Film: Stillsitzen
te kijken naar de levens --	und die Leben betrachten --
die je zelf niet leidt.	die man selbst nicht führt.

Poem H5568
Amsterdam, 2025-06-01
With a photo of the Eye Film Museum (May 13th, 2012, Amsterdam)


Keywords: Perception: observation, AmsterdamF 
Dedicated to: Lotte W, Madelief dK 

The cow has big ears,
and I have two ponytails;
of course they are deaf.
De koe heeft grote	Die Kuh hat große
oren, ik heb twee paarden-	Ohren, ich habe Pferde-
staarten; die zijn doof.	schwänze; sie sind taub.

Poem H5608
Amsterdam, 2025-06-16
With a photo of Madelief and a cow (September 5th, 2004, Wolhusen)


Keywords: Animals: cow / bull / bison / ox, Animals: horse / pony 
Dedicated to: Madelief dK 

In a flowered dress,
a rose on her pole: the girl --
blossoms in the field.
In een bloemenjurk	Im geblümten Kleid,
en met een roos: het meisje --	Rose am Stock: das Mädchen --
bloeit op de weide.	blüht auf der Wiese.

Poem H5610
Amsterdam, 2025-06-16
With a photo of Madelief at the Madonna Church, a place of pelgrimage on the hill of Castelletto, reached via a Way of the Cross (July 14th, 2009, Melano)


Keywords: Teenager (growing up), Nature: flowers 
Dedicated to: Madelief dK 

Being together,
a family, with clay and --
paint: free expression!
Kleien en kleuren,	Basteln und malen,
samenzijn, familie zijn:	eine Familie sein:
vrije expressie!	sich frei ausdrücken!

Poem H5613
Amsterdam, 2025-06-17
With a photo of Dory (October 6th, 2002, Wolhusen)


Keywords: Self-expression (creative), Family: grandma / grandpa 
Dedicated to: Lotte W, Madelief dK, Dory dK 

I like to talk to
Grandma about my life, and --
that's how we connect.
Ik vertel Oma	Mit Oma spreche
over mijn leven, en zo --	ich über mein Leben, so --
zijn wij verbonden.	sind wir verbunden.

Poem H5785
Amsterdam, 2025-08-04
With a photo of the wish tree in the Palm House in Wolhusen (May 22nd, 2013)


Keyword: Family: grandma / grandpa 
Dedicated to: Lotte W, Madelief dK, Florentin dK 

Getting some shut-eye
while leaning against mama --
And listening in.
Tegen mama aan	An Mama lehnen,
even mijn ogen toe doen --	mit geschlossenen Augen --
en meeluisteren.	ruhig mithören.

Poem H5940
Amsterdam, 2025-09-12
With a photo of Lotte and Michi (June 7th, 2018; Lotte is 6 years old)


Keyword: Childhood 
Dedicated to: Lotte W 

To you I am no
hero, yet heroic deeds --
I will still perform.
Jij vindt mij geen held,	Für dich bin ich kein
maar heldendaden zal ik --	Held, und doch vollbringe ich --
zeker verrichten.	mal Heldentaten.

Poem H5972
Amsterdam, 2025-10-13
Keywords: Ambition, Hero(ine) 

Living the way I
am, of course I imitate --
that from the others.
Leven zoals ik	Zu leben, wie ich
ben, dat kijk ik natuurlijk --	bin, das schau ich natürlich --
af van anderen.	ab von anderen.

Poem H5997
Amsterdam, 2025-11-03
Keywords: Identity: environment, Imitate 

Having no talent
to acquire adulthood, one --
has to try harder.
Wie geen talent heeft	Wer kein Talent zum
om volwassen te worden --	Erwachsenwerden hat, muss --
moet meer zijn best doen.	sich mehr anstrengen.

Poem H5999
Amsterdam, 2025-11-04
Keyword: Adultness (behaviour) 

Don't touch me, leave me
alone, I do know myself --
what is good for me!
Raak mij niet aan, laat	Rühr mich nicht an, lass
me met rust, ik weet zelf wel --	mich in Ruhe, ich weiß selbst --
wat goed voor me is!	was gut für mich ist!

Poem H6094
Amsterdam, 2026-02-05
Keyword: Teenager (growing up) 

People observe each
other's actions, that's how they --
discuss in silence.
We volgen elkaars	Wir beobachten
doen en laten, zo zijn we --	einander, so, in Stille --
stil in discussie.	diskutieren wir.

Poem H6294
Amsterdam, 2026-05-27
Keywords: Perception: observation, Imitate 

Yellow-red was rare,
until we came to know it --
as, yay, oranges.
Geelrood was zeldzaam,	Gelbrot war selten,
tot we het leerden kennen --	bis wir es kennenlernten --
als sinaasappels.	als, hey, Orangen.

Poem H6340
Amsterdam, 2026-06-25
It was only with the introduction of the orange in the 15th century that yellow-red (geolu-read) became a known colour in Western Europe, and was subsequently called orange
Keywords: Colour, Language: notions 

At school you learn how
to do it, in life also --
how not to do it.
Op school leer je hoe	Die Schule lehrt dich,
het moet, en in het leven --	wie man's macht, das Leben auch --
ook hoe het niet moet.	wie man es nicht macht.

Poem H6359
Amsterdam, 2026-07-16
Keyword: Knowledge: gain 

We play. My brother
lifts me up, and swings me right --
over the water.
We spelen. Mijn broer	Ein Spiel. Mein Bruder
tilt me op, zwiert me even --	hebt mich hoch und schwingt mich kurz --
over het water.	über das Wasser.

Poem H6373
Amsterdam, 2026-08-02
With a photo of Florentin dK and Lotte W (September 6th, 2025, Schin op Geul)
Keywords: Playing: fight, Manly (tough) 

The king looks at me
by candlelight: he gives light --
and burns up himself.
De koning kijkt mij	König im Kerzen-
bij kaarslicht aan: hij verlicht --	licht: er erleuchtet mich und --
mij, en brandt zelf op.	verbrennt dabei selbst.

Poem H6388
Amsterdam, 2026-08-22
Portrait of William III (1650-1702), Prince of Orange, King of England and Stadtholder of the Seven United Netherlands, painted in 1692-1693 by Godfried Schalcken
Keywords: Leadership, Politics 

Rooms and corridors,
stairs, streets, bridges, lanes, and paths:
all the time en route.
Kamers en gangen,	Zimmer und Flure,
trappen, straten en paden:	Treppen, Straßen und Wege:
aldoor onderweg.	immer unterwegs.

Poem S0023
Julianadorp, 2011-12-30
Keyword: Life: course (on the way) 

I sail out as if
I'm arriving, that's how fast --
you leave beside me.
Ik vaar uit alsof	Ich fahre ab, als
ik aankom, zo snel vertrekt --	käme ich an, so schnell läufst --
jouw zeilboot naast mij.	du neben mir aus.

Poem S0089
Amsterdam, 2013-08-01
Keyword: Love: relationship (twoness) 

On the internet,
I can see the Whole Wide World --
with only two eyes.
Op het internet	Schön, im Internet
zie ik de hele wereld --	sehe ich die ganze Welt --
met maar twee ogen.	mit nur zwei Augen.

Poem S0114
Amsterdam, 2014-01-17
Keywords: World(view), Communication (digital) 

I don't show myself,
I avoid prejudices --
of first impressions.
Ik laat me niet zien,	Ich zeige mich nicht,
ik mijd vooroordelen, mijd --	vermeide Vorurteile --
de eerste indruk.	des ersten Eindrucks.

Poem S0640
Amsterdam, 2018-01-02
Keyword: Fear: insecurity 

Gold chips on the street
can't be real, such a party --
would be pathetic.
Goudsnippers op straat	Echte Goldschnipsel
kunnen niet echt zijn, zo'n feest --	auf der Straße, das wäre --
zou armzalig zijn.	ein schäbiges Fest.

Poem S1250
Amsterdam, 2021-09-25
Keyword: Party: remains 

Finally famous,
for some photos half naked --
next to the toilet.
Eindelijk beroemd,	Endlich mal berühmt,
door een paar foto's half bloot --	von ein Paar Fotos halb nackt --
naast de wc-pot.	neben dem WC.

Poem S1391
Amsterdam, 2022-04-09
Mocking at fame
Online shaming
In the summer of 1967, Robert Davidson took photos of Frank Zappa in his hotel in London
In 1983 Frank Zappa said about these photos: "I'm probably more famous for sitting on the toilet than for anything else")
Keyword: Honour / Fame 
Tribute to: Zappa, Frank 
Composer: Zappa, Frank 
Dedicated to: Valentina Bruno 

I do my office
work in the park to relax --
as the day is long.
Ik doe mijn kantoor-	Ich mache Büro-
werk in het park, ontspannen --	arbeiten im Park, entspannt --
want de dag is lang.	da der Tag lang ist.

Poem S1408
Amsterdam, 2022-05-11
Doing office work in a park or on a café terrace
Keyword: Balance (keep) 

I walk beside me,
confidently, tirelessly --
I keep commenting.
Ik loop naast mezelf,	Ich geh neben mir,
zeker en onvermoeibaar --	selbstbewusst, unermüdlich --
geef ik commentaar.	kommentiere ich.

Poem S1431
Amsterdam, 2022-06-21
Keyword: Self-criticism 

Equality fills
people with fear, for strangers --
thinkers and witches.
Gelijkheid boezemt	Gleichheit gibt Angst ein,
angst in, voor vreemdelingen --	vor fast allen Ausländern --
denkers en heksen.	Denker und Hexen.

Poem S1541
Amsterdam, 2022-10-21
Keyword: Equality: inequality 

The tall man is dressed
in nothing, nothing but ties --
so superior!
De man is gekleed	Der baumlange Mann
in niets, niets dan stropdassen --	trägt nichts, nichts als Krawatten --
zo superieur!	so überlegen!

Poem S1601
Amsterdam, 2022-12-18
Gires Kanda in Kinshasa (Kris Pannecoucke) - 2022
Gires Kanda in a suit of ties, Kinshasa 2022 (photo Kris Pannecoucke)
Keyword: Pride: proudness 
Tribute to: Pannecoucke, Kris; Kanda, Gires 

Skirting along the sea Tires hum, backs are bent clouds of words drift along: cyclists skirting along the sea They pedal and talk but don't smell what I smell don't look like I look They sweat out fragrances repeat their fiddle-faddle in monologues They feel important

Poem 112
Amsterdam, 2008-07-26
Keywords: Human: fellow man, Holland 

Without a nation Queen without a nation no copper in my blood no parade of swanky princes competing for my hand no one who dresses me with someone else's money I don't ask anything by decree and my shit doesn't fix me to an inherited bullybook composed with suavity and silky soft cords of sticky oracle words which way flag and pennant blow and that it is still far, but the nation the nation the nation Hooray Hooray Hooray I am a queen without a nation

Poem 2061
Amsterdam, 2019-01-26
Keyword: Confidence / Trust 

In the buzz I came from the hotel's exercise hall, you stood among the buzzing people and pointed at me Your finger attacked me in my heart You walked with me and in our room your hand slipped Quickly I threw a heap absorbing salt on the carpet Later, I washed away the red stain It is nothing but uncertainty that separates us The other side is far I swim the fastest by crawling over the sunken ships because it would take too long to build a bridge

Poem 851
Amsterdam, 2016-11-29
Keyword: Love: unsure, uncertain 

Real pleasures In slow motion, I make silly faces together they look normal I wind myself back and forth, enlarge me and watch me close to the skin: I look real whatever hat I wear whatever my wishes are underneath it In the dark, I feel inside me for who I am, listening to my body which is difficult to understand It wants to eat and enjoy fondling, yes it wants to enjoy music and attention and the knowledge to be needed, admired it wants to surrender to someone, to real pleasures that are seen

Poem 2043
Amsterdam, 2019-01-21
Keyword: Pleasure 

Ask the way I don't want to proclaim exalted rules living up to them is enough for me and sometimes I help a blind person not by guiding her to the best begging places but by giving her a bike so she can go on her own outside the economic frameworks of desire, possession and preservation and then will have to ask children and searching people the way because there are no billboards and no remembrance boxes with suspended ideals Only people of flesh and blood Yeah, the old people are still young over there

Poem 2598
Amsterdam, 2019-12-31
Keyword: Together: solidarity 

Switch points Father still hangs there: a beautiful young man in gaudy clothes who made himself heard with high heels just married, not strict the man of duty I have known, in working-clothes busy with important matters with a lenient look at Mum dressing up in discomfort, in the morning of their brass wedding both passed the switch points continuing on each other's track Mum in the stylish colours she didn't need before to belong Father increasingly frugally fighting for recognition of his achievements until their bodies over the years will turn switch points again and he will smile leniently at his portrait together with Mum

Poem 3215
Amsterdam, 2020-10-23
Keyword: Adultness (experience) 

Song of Praise As We Are Maybe I'm just a girl in your eyes, like all girls have been, although sometimes only for a short time and though you know them different all so different the woman next door, the schoolmistress your grandma, your mother your sister and me, the girl you fell in love with me, the wife you sleep with and our little daughter, a princess in your fantasies because you are at a loss with us as we are

Poem 3296
Amsterdam, 2020-12-02
Hymn to Isis (c. 300 BC), Codex VI-2, the Gnostic treatise "Thunder, Perfect Mind" from the Nag Hammadi library, written in the Coptic language
Keyword: Womanly (fairy / nymph) 

His hands rest in his eyes Who will do it, who will sketch who I am not just any woman with skin and hair and a figure eight, ten, like this, like that but lifelike? The dreamer perhaps, who is looking around vaguely, letting my image sink in before he begins to draw; his hands rest in his eyes, his look is soft no searchlight that bleaches me and lights up less than it blinds

Poem 3559
Amsterdam, 2021-03-13
Keyword: Identity: being seen 

The battle cry With hangers-on, bosses form a majority and more hangers-on as henchmen push away the minorities So they have to clench their fists and cry: Freedom Equality Brotherhood Or Death which is never worth enough to pay for these ideals We just leave them out the last words We want to live in freedom, equality, brotherhood without the echo of death in our desire

Poem 3756
Amsterdam, 2021-04-27
1713, Catalonia: viurem lliures o morirem (we will live free or die)
1789, France: liberté, égalité, fraternité ou la mort
1800, Frisians: lewwer duad üs slaav (better dead than a slave)
1821, Greece: eleuthería y thánatos (freedom or death)
1825, Uruguay: libertad o muerte (freedom or death)
Keyword: Freedom: fight for 

Wedlocked I hear myself, working in the kitchen, cooking shouldn't sound like that There is a time for everything but it is fixed in daily routines When it gets dark I can breathe out, look outside, look at the birds On holidays I discover the world through the eyes of the boys who conquer rocks and rivers The girls are princesses They train themselves to be a queen destined to complain about her fate At home, they are my family They plug their ears when I'm cooking

Poem 3810
Amsterdam, 2021-05-12
Keyword: Womanly (devotion) 

Sexy voice Dear friend, I can't, I don't want to resist no more just let me stumble slowly through the day and admit reluctantly that you can't do anything about the missing that will come there is so much that I have been missing for years the cheerfulness in those days fire in my shoes years full of happiness ahead and the endless feeling to be sexy with more than the voice that I still have, but don't be enchanted by it

Poem 4106
Amsterdam, 2021-11-08
Keyword: Goodbye: dying / death 

Summer clothes Summer, summer clothes picnic on the jetty paddle-boarders and fun I'm looking at you so shapeless I would like to be beneath my face no legs and arms no breasts, belly and buttocks that attract attention, free from exploring eyes or free as now Your inner outlook which desires my body would be there anyway

Poem 4607
Amsterdam, 2022-08-08
Keyword: Desire (craving, lust) 

Spoiled / Undervalued On occasions I stand on a pedestal, but too often it is me I am annoyed by spoiled egos and undervalued love Why believe in freedom and equality? They exist or do not exist Rarely do they exist spontaneously Or should I believe in them to soothe the doubts about my actions my complicity and sensible modesty? knowing that children are formed by adult frustrations and they too will have to assert the ideals

Poem 4831
Amsterdam, 2022-11-21
Keywords: Mankind, Equality: assert 

Home Also worlds that we don't have and have not even experienced we can cherish, skaters on the canals of the eleven cities and those of Amsterdam We know it from photos and paintings, fashion from grandma's time pharaohs, Indians and dinosaurs the splendour of microorganisms and the blue ice of glaciers where cows now graze, the love on the faces of strangers which I look at again and again or a drawing of a little trip with the three of us on a bicycle We save it all somewhere inside us, in the world which we built ourselves and where we feel more at home than wherever

Poem 4967
Amsterdam, 2023-01-12
Keywords: Home: security / comfort, World(view) 
Dedicated to: Lotte W 

Attention [2] Receiving attention As a child, feeling That you are noticed Having to take notice of that And along with that Taking notice of How everything works Between people And the rest of the world Otherwise, your brain will declare The State of Boredom Because you outgrow toys And school isn't everything You need attention That helps you Know who And dare to become who You want to be

Poem 5695
Amsterdam, 2025-10-20
Angel (Wanda Bommer) - 2009
Novel "Engel", chapter 3, paragraph 27 and 40 (forward button [Angélica/Engel 1982-1990])
Keywords: Attention: exist, Boredom: dullness / emptiness 
Tribute to: Bommer, Wanda 

Good Spirit I learned, not at school what a pleasant life is for me; that was step 1 I move on, because I know the days can be boring when I relax and enjoy So, step 2 I seek happiness I want to do something I'm good at and that benefits others I want to live as a good spirit of flesh and blood But without steps 3 that too can become boring a routine, so I'll keep being active with discovering something new and myself

Poem 5892
Amsterdam, 2026-02-15
Hedonia is the state of enjoyment: a pleasant life
Eudaimonia is the state of a good demon: doing good, prosperity, happiness, a happy life
Goeteia is the state of enchantment: charm, an interesting life
Keywords: Happiness (do good), Life: discover / explore 
Dedicated to: Florentin dK 

Richness Of course, friendships are also there for companionship, confirmation and help, and to discover and admire one another but above all, you need them to get to know yourself and to get an idea of ??what your life is all about Friends and strangers broaden your thoughts, their boundaries They direct your gaze toward aspects you overlooked allow them to resonate within you and to open up a deeper knowing of the multiplicity and the richness of being human

Poem 6081
Amsterdam, 2026-07-15
Keywords: Life: discover / explore, Humanity 

Female bodies Mama, of course, conceded sometimes, not often I hope, out of love being a little bit less mutual for the moment I didn't know anything about that I was romantic did not think about children awakened by tumult in the parental bedroom At home was safe, I didn't pay attention to those other women available to men's eyes That was a different world of advertising and loveless sex but now I notice, I see female bodies as human bodies only having themselves as owner

Poem 1868
Amsterdam, 2018-10-12
Keyword: Freedom: self-determination 

Drake-born swan I rather float than swim The water carries me on ripples it flows caressing around my belly and decorates me with breast waves Don't you imagine anything my mother shouts Men look around, she glides majestically through the city. We are the queens category, in an exemplary way we can stand in the middle spread our wings and snort fire to enemies I comfort morning people, give strength to the brave, colour the balloons of the happiness gained together because I am a drake-born swan

Poem 297
Amsterdam, 2014-07-14
Cygnus draconigenus
Keyword: Confidence / Trust 

Here in this heaven
on earth you will be pampered --
when you are with me.
Hier in de hemel	In diesem Himmel
op aarde word je verwend --	auf Erden wirst du verwöhnt --
als je bij mij bent.	wenn du bei mir bist.

Poem H3285
Amsterdam, 2022-05-08
Keyword: Gratitude 

We have coats of arms
to protect us, our courage --
against doom-thinking.
De wapenschilden	Die Wappenschilde
beschermen ons, onze moed --	schützen uns, unseren Mut --
tegen doemdenken.	vor Dämmerdenken.

Poem H3315
Amsterdam, 2022-05-31
Keyword: Courage 

Away with the vice
squad-patriarchy: I am --
Boss Of My Belly!
Weg met het zeden-	Weg mit dem Sitten-
politiearchaat: ik ben --	polizeiarchat: ich bin --
Baas In Eigen Buik!	Boss In Meinem Bauch!

Poem S1407
Amsterdam, 2022-05-10
Action supporting abortion, by Dolle Mina ("Mad Mina") on March 14th, 1970, with the slogan "Baas in eigen buik" ("Boss of your own belly")
Keyword: Equality: assert 

Collection The climbing house			5-7-5
Pencil	Pumice	Rain	Loves
Compressed	Birds	Ifless	Photo
Tributes	Dedications	Composers	Home

Mention © Zywa when using texts, drawings, designs, paintings and photos Search word:  CTRL-F