See the nonsense all

around you, and stay where you --


are: on the sidelines.


Kijk naar de onzinSieh dir den Unsinn
om je heen, en blijf waar je --um dich herum an, und bleib --

bent: aan de zijlijn.stehen: im Abseits.

Poem S3233
Amsterdam, 2026-08-08
The bad luck, the heaviness, and the floating (Nicolien Mizee) - 2025
Diary novel "De pech, de zwaarheid en het zweven" ("Faxing to Ger #7") - June 20th, 2001
Collection: In the light
Tribute to: Mizee, Nicolien; Brodsky, Joseph 
 

Zywa Self-observation

Poverty and prosperity
both pull at people:
let go of the world

and focus on yourself
There is no authority
outside yourself

no doctrine of salvation
no enlightenment
The world is your own

truth

But it's a half one
Too internal, not: live
and let live, living together

in freedom, not: taking action
against ranks and classes
against lies, bogeymen

dictators and saviours
not wanting to interfere
with injustice against women

Poem 5808
Amsterdam, 2026-01-07
The self-observation that Krishnamurti Jiddu (1895-1986) practised is based on the unrealistic desire that you can clear your own brain processes of earthly concerns
Collection: The Yellow House Museum
Tribute to: Jiddu, Krishnamurti 
 

First sounds of the day

in the kitchen, the donkey --


looks up and listens.


Eerste geluidenErste Geräusche
van de dag in de keuken --des Tages in der Küche --

De ezel luistert.Der Hausesel lauscht.

Poem H5728
Amsterdam, 2025-07-23
Waiting for what (Frida Vogels) - 2007
Verse "Wachten op wat", published in "Diary 1962-1963" - September 10th, 1962, Varenna
Collection: Beyond the Cape
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida 
 

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)

Parents with child

Parents with child

Collection: The climbing house
Dedicated to: Maart dK, Madelief dK, Pieter W 
 

What is a doctor?

Isn't he just a recognized --


intimate voyeur?


Wat is een dokter?Was ist dann ein Arzt?
Toch gewoon een erkende --Doch nur ein anerkannter --

intieme voyeur?intimer Voyeur?

Poem H4754
Amsterdam, 2024-07-09
Shame (Salman Rushdie) - 1983
Novel / Exposition with stories, part 1, chapter 3 Melting Ice
Collection: Shadows
Tribute to: Rushdie, Salman 
 

The wind blows, nothing

happens, maybe unless you --


look to see something.


Wind, er gebeurt niets,Es weht, nichts passiert,
behalve misschien als je --außer wenn man hinschaut, um --

kijkt om iets te zien.etwas zu sehen.

Poem H4361
Amsterdam, 2023-12-12
The event (Peter Terrin) - 2022
Novel "De gebeurtenis", chapter Frederik (2) #1 - "The 'looking' was the event"
Collection: Held True
Tribute to: Terrin, Peter 
 

I do as I like,

Mum stays calm, I don't know if --


I even exist.


Mama blijft rustig,Ich kann alles tun,
wat ik ook doe, ik weet niet --Mama bleibt ruhig, als ob --

of ik wel besta.ich nicht da wäre.

Poem S2036
Amsterdam, 2023-12-06
Telemachus' Guilt (Louise Glück) - 1996
Poem (collection "Meadowlands")
Collection: Unseen
Tribute to: Glück, Louise 
 

My attention, where

does it go, what do I want --


to see of the world?


Waar gaat mijn aandachtWohin geht meine
heen, waar rust ze, wat wil ik --Aufmerksamkeit, was will ich --

van de wereld zien?von der Welt sehen?

Poem S1861
Amsterdam, 2023-08-15
Collection: WoofWoof
 

The clouds float over

the still waters of the ditch --


Sometimes they ripple.


Er drijven wolkenDie Wolken schwimmen
over het stille water --über dem stillen Wasser --

Soms rimpelen ze.Manchmal kräuseln sie.

Poem H3956
Amsterdam, 2023-07-17
Ditch (Simon Vestdijk) - 1940
Poem "Sloot", written in 1932, published in "Groot Nederland" (1940) and in the collections "Water in zicht" (1940) and "Simplicia" (1942)
Collection: Inmost [1]
Tribute to: Vestdijk, Simon 
 

Visitors give me,

as a sick person, knowledge --


of human nature.


Bezoekers gevenBesucher geben
mij als zieke veel kennis --mir als Krankem viel Wissen --

Veel mensenkennis.Viel Menschenkenntnis.

Poem H3879
Amsterdam, 2023-06-24
The free bird and its cages - The history of a domicile (Simon Vestdijk) - 1957
Roman "De vrije vogel en zijn kooien - De geschiedenis van een domicilie", chapter 3-3
Collection: Inmost [1]
Tribute to: Vestdijk, Simon 
 

I studied the sick

man next to me, his hooked thumb --


on the forefinger.


Ik bestudeerdeIch erforschte den
de zieke naast mij, zijn duim --kranken Mann, seinen Daumen --

op de wijsvinger.auf dem Fingerling.

Poem H3612
Amsterdam, 2022-12-17
The hand of the poor sick man (Luigi Pirandello) - 1917
Story "La mano del malato povero"
Collection: Actively Passive
Tribute to: Pirandello, Luigi 
 

Zywa Viaduct over the railway

Among the children
on their toes, leaning
forward on the wall
(never a daredevil
to climb on top of it)
I am shaking again
from a freight train

At first my parents sent
someone with me when
I, straight after school
and at the weekend
(far too often, they thought)
spend hours looking
from this bridge near the station

I recognise the old and new
models blindly, by their sound
the vibration of the viaduct
the Doppler effect, and their smell
no matter how hard the wind blows
From here you can go out
into the wide world

Poem 4793
Amsterdam, 2022-11-09
Small Town Station (Edward Hopper) - 1920
Painting
Collection: NightWatch
Tribute to: Hopper, Edward 
 

She visits my house,

and I am a guide who learns --


what things are special.


Ze bekijkt mijn huis,Sie sieht sich mein Haus
ik volg als een gids die leert --an, ich lerne von ihr, was --

wat bijzonder is.bemerkenswert ist.

Poem H3484
Noordwijkerhout, 2022-10-04
Farah Mills (Ivo Victoria) - 2017
Story
Collection: Loves Tricks Gains Pains in the years 2010-2019
Tribute to: Victoria, Ivo 
 

Your child, it reflects

your faults, you must look through them --


to see who it is.


Je kind weerspiegeltDein Kind reflektiert
jouw fouten, kijk daar doorheen --deine Schwäche: schau hindurch --

als je het wilt zien.um es zu sehen.

Poem H3277
Amsterdam, 2022-04-19
Circe (Madeline Miller) - 2018
Novel
Collection: Finethreads
Tribute to: Miller, Madeline 
 

The continents are

discovered by realists --


the bird-followers.


Werelddelen zijnErdteile wurden
ontdekt door realisten --von Realisten entdeckt --

volgers van vogels.Folgern von Vögeln.

Poem H3273
Amsterdam, 2022-04-14
Groundwater (Piet Gerbrandy) - 2017
Essay "Grondwater"
Collection: Stream
Tribute to: Gerbrandy, Piet 
 

I'm not passing by,

I watch the world carefully --


for those who didn't look.


Niet voorbijlopen,Nicht vorbeilaufen,
aandachtig de wereld zien --die Welt ruhig ansehen --

voor wie haar niet zag.für wen es nicht sah.

Poem H3044
Amsterdam, 2021-09-15
Artists
Collection: WoofWoof
 

Zywa Between the lines: attention

Everything starts with it, language
(mama's face and sweet words)
turning, crawling, walking
(mama's hand and encouragement)
eating, playing, wanting
(mama's example and commentary)
sand, water, wind, wood and fire
(heaven and earth)
animals, cars, construction cranes
(the world)
school, listening, practising
(teachers and reading)
practising and practising
(expertise)
until my attention slides smoothly
(like a fish in water)
through the matter
(mastery)

With people, it is different
(they are like me)
they scatter my energy
(in changing rain)
from clouds of love

Poem 3407
Amsterdam, 2021-01-27
Collection: Lilith's Powers
 

Just look, there is more

to see among the branches --


in the winteryard.


Kijk maar, er is meerSchau mal, es gibt mehr
te zien tussen de takken --drüben zwischen den Zweigen --

in de wintertuin.im Wintergarten.

Poem H2864
Amsterdam, 2020-12-21
Collection: Metamorphic body
Dedicated to: Marlies D, Christel H, Benny B 
 

An elevator

full of weal and woe, up and --


down in my sick head.


Een trage lift volEin Aufzug voller
wel en wee zweeft op en neer --Wohl und Weh, auf und ab in --

in mijn zieke hoofd.meinem kranken Kopf.

Poem H0668
Amsterdam, 2014-01-18
I'm a mile further (Hans Lodeizen) - 1949
Poem "ik ben een mijl verder" (published in "De vrije bladen" ["The free papers"], 1949, volume 20, book 5)
Collection: Moist glow
Tribute to: Lodeizen, Hans 
 

The heron watches

the water closely, not me --


still seeing me though.


De reiger kijkt strakDer Reiher schaut starr
naar het water, niet naar mij --auf das Wasser, nicht auf mich --

maar ze ziet me wel.aber sie sieht mich.

Poem H0045
Amsterdam, 2011-11-30
Collection: Moons
 

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