My ambitions force

materials together --


into a grand work.


Mijn plannen dwingenDie Pläne zwingen
materialen samen --Baustoffe zusammen, zu --

tot een groots bouwwerk.einem großen Werk.

Poem H5839
Amsterdam, 2025-08-17
He who, from unruly materials (Frida Vogels) - 2011
Verse "Wie, uit weerbarstige materialen", published in "Diary 1970-1971" - August 11th, 1970, Pieve di Tremosine
Collection: Lookout
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida 
 

Competition is

creative: no more wheels, but --


coaches on sledges.


Concurrentie isWettbewerb ist schlau:
creatief: geen wielen, maar --keine Räder mehr, sondern --

koetsen op sledes.Kutschen auf Schlitten.

Poem H5815
Amsterdam, 2025-08-12
To reduce traffic congestion on the quays, Amsterdam levied a tax on vehicle wheels from 1737 onwards
Collection: Local traffic
 

The fastest blower

has curly hair, it is stuffed --


with the paper darts.


De snelste blazerDer schnellste Bläser
heeft krullend haar, het zit vol --hat lockiges Haar, besteckt --

papieren pijltjes.mit Papierpfeilen.

Poem H5655
Amsterdam, 2025-07-01
In foreign parts - Chronicles (Frida Vogels) - 2024
Autobiography "In den vreemde - Kronieken", chapter 'Een migrantengezin in Milaan' (A migrant family in Milan) - Shooting paper darts with a blowpipe (Milan, 1959)
Collection: Beyond the Cape
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida 
 

Certainly, AI

isn't the future, it does not --


escape from what is.


AI is zekerKI ist bestimmt
niet de toekomst, ze ontsnapt --nicht die Zukunft, sie entkommt --

niet uit wat er is.nicht dem, was da ist.

Poem S2683
Amsterdam, 2025-05-31
AI is making our culture uniform (Jonasz Dekkers) - 2025
Article "AI maakt eenheidsworst van onze cultuur" in the NRC of May 31st, 2025
AI = Artificial intelligence

Collection: Truder
Tribute to: Dekkers, Jonasz 
 

With interruptions

my peace deepens, then it starts --


I get creative.


Haperend verdieptStockend vertieft sich
mijn rust zich, dan begint het --meine Ruhe, dann geht’s los --

Ik word creatief.Ich bin kreativ.

Poem H5056
Amsterdam, 2024-11-09
Turning inwards (John Kameel Farah) - 2023
Composition, performed by John Kameel Farah in the Organpark on November 9th, 2024, on organs, synthesizers and piano
Collection: org anp ARK 
Composer: Farah, John Kameel 
 

Commandos climb through

the cave at night with torches --


Into the city.


Commando's klimmenKommandos klettern
's nachts met toortsen door de grot --nachts mit Fackeln durch die Schlucht --

de bovenstad in.in die Oberstadt.

Poem H4971
Amsterdam, 2024-10-11
Stained glass windows (Hansjörg Fink and Elmar Lehnen) - 2022
Composition "Vitraux", part "Jesus jagt die Händler und Käufer aus dem Tempel" ("Jesus drives the merchants and buyers out of the temple"), performed by Hansjörg Fink (trombone) and Elmar Lehnen (organ) at the Organpark on October 11th, 2024
The stained glass windows in question were installed by Arcabas (Jean-Marie Pirot) in the Notre-Dame des Neiges in Alpe d'Huez
Mark 14:10,20 Judas, the commander of the 'dagger-men', enters the city of Jerusalem through the shaft above the Siloam spring on the Thursday after the festive entry, and the next day he is the first of the Twelve (the king's council) to be 'baptised' with Jesus as a martyr for God's rule

Collections: The King, org anp ARK 
Tribute to: Pirot, Jean-Marie 
Composers: Fink, Hansjörg; Lehnen, Elmar 
 

Da Vinci: the first

bicycle; fabricate it --


then you can ride it.


Da Vinci tekentDa Vinci zeichnet
de eerste fiets; wie hem maakt --ein Fahrrad; wer es herstellt --

kan er op rijden.kann damit fahren.

Poem H4894
Amsterdam, 2024-09-04
The Message to the Planet (Iris Murdoch) - 1989
Novel, part Five
Collection: Longing and Loss
Tribute to: Murdoch, Iris 
 

Progress is the storm

that has risen at the gates --


of Eden's garden.


Vooruitgang: de stormFortschritt ist der Sturm
die opstak aan de poorten --der aufkam vor den Toren --

van het paradijs.des Paradieses.

Poem H4534
Amsterdam, 2024-02-23
On the concept of history (Walter Benjamin) - 1940
Historical-philosophical theses "Über den Begriff der Geschichte"
Walter Benjamin bought in 1921 the painting "Angelus Novus" ("New Angel" / "Young Angel") by Paul Klee, painted in 1920, about which the 9th thesis is about

Collection: Germ Substance
Tribute to: Benjamin, Walter 
 

Man as Creator

keeps grafting new qualities --


onto ancient roots.


De mens als SchepperDer Mensch als Schöpfer
ent nieuwe eigenschappen --pfropft neue Eigenschaften --

op oude stammen.auf alten Wurzeln.

Poem H4276
Amsterdam, 2023-11-03
Sexing the cherry (Jeanette Winterson) - 1989
Novel, chapter "1649" (Anno Domini 1649)
Romans 11:19-20 Jewish branches are broken off in order to graft the shoots of the Christian faith onto the trunk of the Old Covenant

Collection: No wonder
Tribute to: Winterson, Jeanette 
 

I wrap the towel

tightly around my sports shoes --


to form a pillow.


De handdoek wikkelDas Handtuch wickle
ik strak om mijn sportschoenen --ich um meine Turnschuhe --

tot een hoofdkussen.zu einem Kissen.

Poem H4149
Amsterdam, 2023-09-12
A Change of tongue (Antjie Krog) - 2003
"La Caravane de la Poésie" in 1999 - The inn at Goundam (Mali)
Tale, part 5, A journey (Day Twelve)

Collection: Skin-contact
Tribute to: Krog, Antjie 
 

God has fled, somewhere

in a hole of the cosmos --


He's creating worlds.


God is weggevlucht,Gott ist geflohen,
in een hoek van het heelal --in einem Loch des Weltalls --

schept Hij werelden.erschafft Er Welten.

Poem H4094
Amsterdam, 2023-08-30
The waiter and the living (Simon Vestdijk) - 1949
Novel "De kellner en de levenden", chapter X. The temptation
Collection: Inmost [2]
Tribute to: Vestdijk, Simon 
 

Zywa Can't I do this too?

Most people walk past
At best they think: can't this be better
can't this colouring in boxes
also be done by a child -

practice a few times
to fill them in solidly, without scratches
and to stay within the lines, but did they
ever sit down for it themselves?

Dot they remember what it feels like?
That you are completely absorbed in it
that time stands still and everything
feels good, that you know

well, can't I? Yes
I can do this too!

Poem 4994
Amsterdam, 2023-01-16
For Nina T, who was born on January 17th, 2007
Poem to "Colors for a large wall" (1951, Ellsworth Kelly)

Collection: Summer birds
Dedicated to: Nina T 
 

Go push your way through

the forest, to the fortress --


and set yourself free!


Baan jezelf een wegBahne dich einen
door het woud, naar de vesting --Weg durch den Wald, zur Festung --

en bevrijd jezelf!und befreie dich!

Poem H3629
Amsterdam, 2022-12-29
The forest and the citadel. Memoires of a composer (Simeon ten Holt) - 2009
"Het woud en de citadel. Memoires van een componist"
Collection: Germ Substance
Tribute to: Ten Holt, Simeon 
Composer: Ten Holt, Simeon 
 

Calm before the storm

of my creativity:


I am very bored!


Stilte voor de stormRuhe vor dem Sturm
van mijn creativiteit:meiner Kreativität:

ik verveel me zo!mir ist langweilig!

Poem H3624
Amsterdam, 2022-12-28
The Gay Science (Friedrich Nietzsche) - 1882
"Für den Denker und für alle erfindsamen Geister ist Langeweile jene unangenehme 'Windstille' der Seele, welche der glücklichen Fahrt und den lustigen Winden vorangeht" ("To the thinker, and to all inventive minds, boredom is that disagreeable 'calm' of the soul which precedes happy voyages and merry winds"), 1882, Friedrich Nietzsche, in: "Die fröhliche Wissenschaft" ("The Gay Science")
Collection: Actively Passive
Tribute to: Nietzsche, Friedrich 
 

Zywa Stones create me

From times of which I have no idea
whether I unconsciously know about it
this block has been broken in Carrara

What kind of blood is running
through its veins? What is it calling for
in my head? A piece of stone

remaining itself, impervious
to everything I try
to attribute to it

It just remains what it is
while it forms form thoughts in me
which I cut free from myself with chisels

Look! Art. Mine. Do you see
me? Only I do it like that
Look, I exist!

The stone is still a stone
but I am only here now
in the contact, after the contact

The stone created
my creative thought
the stone created me

for a while, for those who know
a little, in time at most my name
but the stone keeps creating

Poem 3302
Amsterdam, 2021-01-02
Collection: The Yellow House Museum
Dedicated to: Yuk Lin M, Philip L 
 

Thanks to the moth holes

in the umbrella, I count --


the stars exactly.


Dankzij de motten-Dank des Mottenlochs
gaten in de paraplu --im Regenschirm zähle ich --

tel ik de sterren.die Sterne genau.

Poem H2843
Amsterdam, 2020-12-05
No One Writes to the Colonel (Gabriel García Márquez) - 1961
Novella "El colonel no tiene quién le escriba"
Collection: Dream flight
Tribute to: García Márquez, Gabriel 
 

Pencil sharpeners

cannot make an arrowhead --


from a pebble stone.


Een puntenslijperEin Anspitzer kann
kan geen pijlpunten maken --keine Pfeilspitzen machen --

van kiezelstenen.aus Kieselsteinen.

Poem H2767
Amsterdam, 2020-08-19
Boyhood (Richard Linklater) - 2014
Film
Collection: Specialities
Tribute to: Linklater, Richard 
 

Zywa Mount Olympus

Mum is beautiful, and the garage
with my own name on it
which I can not read yet
and my bike on Queen's Day

the flower garlands on the cars
after a day at the seaside
with all the cousins

everything I make
and break down again, cranes
buildings and drawings

Mum says: you live
on Mount Olympus
because you are very special
and make everything beautiful

Poem 1335
Amsterdam, 2017-05-08
Collection: Life line 
 

Modern Construction

regards doors as a problem --


and reinvents them.


Het Nieuwe BouwenDas Neue Bauen
vindt deuren een probleem en --fasst Türen auf als Problem --

vindt ze opnieuw uit.und entwirft sie neu.

Poem H1648
Amsterdam, 2017-01-09
Tom Puss and The Fidler (Marten Toonder) - 1958
Comic strip #81 - "Tom Poes en De beunhaas", tier 3463
Collection: Puss & Lord
Tribute to: Toonder, Marten 
 

I write 'you', just look,

then you can see what it says --


and you will read love.


Ik schrijf jij, kijk maar,Ich schreibe du, schau
dan kun je zien wat er staat --mal, dann siehst du, was es sagt --

en lees je liefde.und liest du Liebe.

Poem H0800
Amsterdam, 2014-02-24
Petite suite for solo voice (Ellen Warmond) - 1961
Poem "Petite suite voor solostem" (collection "Warmte, een woonplaats")
Collection: Loves Tricks Gains Pains in the years 1960-1979
Tribute to: Warmond, Ellen 
 

My index finger

writes in the water the words --


that swim out of me.


Mijn wijsvinger schrijftMein Zeigefinger
in het water de woorden --schreibt ins Wasser die Worte --

die uit mij zwemmen.die herausschwimmen.

Poem H0586
Amsterdam, 2013-09-28
The child and me (Martinus Nijhoff) - 1934
Poem "Het kind en ik" (collection "Nieuwe gedichten")
Collection: Whirligig Scribbler 
Tribute to: Nijhoff, Martinus 
 

Look, I made something

beautiful from an idea --


that attracted me.


Kijk, ik heb iets mooisIch mache etwas
gemaakt van een ideetje --Schönes aus einer Idee --

dat mij verleidde.die mich verführt hat.

Poem H0544
Amsterdam, 2013-08-11
Collection: Life line 
 

Is it strange? Much of

everything that exists is --


too big or too small.


Is het gek? Veel vanIst es seltsam, dass
alles wat er bestaat, is --vieles entweder zu groß --

te groot of te klein.oder zu klein ist?

Poem H0537
Amsterdam, 2013-08-10
Is it strange? Not in nature, but perhaps with screws, bolts, and parts to make something fit?
Collection: Mosaic virus
 

Just keep going, you

may be successful, and be --


called a creator.


Blijf gewoon bezig,Mach einfach weiter,
dan heb je misschien succes --vielleicht hast du Erfolg, und --

en heet je schepper.bist du ein Schöpfer.

Poem H0416
Amsterdam, 2013-02-23
Collection: BloodTrunk
 

 

 
Photographer
Rekem, 1986-09-20
Dark room for a film roll problem
Collection: Photo's 1986
 

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