We can indeed laugh
at ourselves, the two of us --
if nobody knows.
We kunnen lachen	Wir können lachen
om onszelf, met zijn tweeën --	über uns selbst, wir beide --
als niemand het weet.	wenn es keiner weiß.

Poem H3685
Amsterdam, 2023-01-28
Letter (Karel V) - 1550
"Maria van Hongarije, regentes der Nederlanden: een politieke analyse op basis van haar regentschaps-ordonnanties en haar correspondentie met Karel V" ("Mary of Hungary, governour of the Netherlands: a political analysis based on her regencyordinances and her correspondence with Charles V", 1995, Laetitia Gorter-van Royen)
Emperor Charles V (Gent 1500-1558) writes to his sister Maria (Brussels 1505-1558): 'I'm sure you didn't write that without laughing, and I had to laugh too when I read it. [..] I am writing all this to you to laugh and to make a fool of ourselves, because I really need that.'
Collection: Thinkles Lusionless
Keyword: Reason: discrimination 
Tribute to: Karel V