Zywa Certificates

Grandma, what is that?
With those beautiful letters?
Oh, that is old paper
That's not for you

It's still hanging there
from the old days
Back then, Grandma did something
that people liked

Other people
do good things too
and they don't get any proof
but they don't mind

They have more beautiful memories
of their lives than a certificate
or diploma like that, well, sometimes
it's part of the game

Poem 6135
Amsterdam, 2026-10-17
Collection: The Yellow House Museum
 

In this mirror, I

look like a movie version --


of my grandfather.


In deze spiegelIm Spiegel seh ich
lijk ik op een filmversie --aus wie eine Filmversion --

van mijn grootvader.meines Großvaters.

Poem H6324
Amsterdam, 2026-06-19
Possession, A Romance (A.S. Byatt) - 1990
Novel, chapter 28
Collection: Wean Di
Tribute to: Byatt, A.S. 
 

Grandma knows medi-

cinal herbs, well, in the past --


she would have been burned.


Oma kent kruidenOma kennt viele
tegen ziektes, tja, vroeger --Heilkräuter, na ja, früher --

zou ze verbrand zijn.wäre sie verbrannt.

Poem H6119
Amsterdam, 2026-02-27
Collection: web tissue
 

In the afternoon

Grandpa goes to the stable --


and sings the cows in.


Opa gaat 's middagsAm Nachmittag geht
bij de stal staan, dan zingt hij --Opa zum Stall, dann singt er --

de koeien erin.die Kühe herein.

Poem H6111
Amsterdam, 2026-02-22
My struggle 3. Boyhood Island (Karl Ove Knausgård) - 2009
Autobiographical novel "Min Kamp. Tredje bok", part 4 - Summer vacation 1976, Sørbøvågen (north of Bergen) - Staying with fathers' parents
Collection: Leaving
Tribute to: Knausgård, Karl Ove 
 

We are staying with

grandpa and grandma, where dad --


always gets restless.


We logeren bijWir sind zu Gast bei
opa en oma, papa --Opa und Oma, dann wird --

wordt dan onrustig.Papa unruhig.

Poem S3084
Amsterdam, 2026-02-21
My struggle 3. Boyhood Island (Karl Ove Knausgård) - 2009
Autobiographical novel "Min Kamp. Tredje bok" (translated 2014), part 4 - Summer vacation 1976, Sørbøvågen (north of Bergen) - Staying with fathers' parents
Collection: Leaving
Tribute to: Knausgård, Karl Ove 
 

I like to talk to

Grandma about my life, and --


that's how we connect.


Ik vertel OmaMit 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)

Wish tree

Collection: The climbing house
Dedicated to: Lotte W, Madelief dK, Florentin 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)

Dory

Collection: The climbing house
Dedicated to: Lotte W, Madelief dK, Dory dK 
 

We're happy to see

each other, my grandparents --


do want to know me.


We zijn blij elkaarFroh, einander zu
te zien, opa en oma --sehen, Opa und Oma --

willen mij kennen.wollen mich kennen.

Poem H5592
Amsterdam, 2025-06-07
With a photo of Dory and Paul at the IJmuiderslag (September 4th, 2014, IJmuiden)

Dory and Paul

Collection: The climbing house
Dedicated to: Lotte W, Madelief dK, Dory dK, Paul J 
 

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)

Pieter and his granddad

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

Grandpa looks at me,

I feel that he loves me, but --


who is he really?


Opa kijkt me aanOpa sieht mich an,
en hij houdt van mij, maar wie --sicher, er liebt mich, aber --

is hij eigenlijk?wer ist er wirklich?

Poem H5518
Amsterdam, 2025-05-27
With a photo of Paul in the Organpark (November 16th, 2014, Amsterdam)

Paul

Collection: The Big Secret
Dedicated to: Lotte W, Madelief dK, Paul J 
 

Today I can still

do it, I must embrace her --


my dear grandmother.


Vandaag kan het nog,Es muss sein, heute
nu moet ik haar omarmen --kann ich sie noch umarmen --

mijn lieve oma.meine Großmutter.

Poem H5513
Amsterdam, 2025-05-26
With a photo of Dory and Madelief (February 19th, 2012, Grossdietwil)

Dory and Madelief

Collection: Pending rain
Dedicated to: Madelief dK, Dory dK 
 

Yeah, grandpa, you know,

it's really not that easy --


Well, it just depends.


Ja, opa, weet je,Ja Opa, weißt du,
dat is zo makkelijk niet --das ist gar nicht so einfach --

Het ligt er maar aan.Es kommt darauf an.

Poem H5499
Amsterdam, 2025-05-24
With a photo of Madelief taken during a video call (June 1st, 2014, Grossdietwil)

Madelief

Collection: web tissue
Dedicated to: Madelief dK 
 

I scout grandma-as

a child at the giant tree --


One like this one here.


Ik verken oma-Ich erkunde O-
als kind bij de reuzenboom --ma-als Kind am Riesenbaum --

Zo een als deze.Einer wie dieser.

Poem H5315
Amsterdam, 2025-03-15
Higher physics #1 (Ellen Deckwitz) - 2019
Poem (collection "Hogere natuurkunde"), pages 6, 7, 8 - With a childhood photo of grandma in hand (giant tree: meranti)
Collection: Death on Cast
Tribute to: Deckwitz, Ellen 
 

I'm seeking the world

of my grandmother's stories --


Are they an entrance?


Ik zoek de wereldIch suche die Welt
van grootmoeders verhalen --der Großmutters Geschichten --

Zijn ze een ingang?Sind sie ein Eingang?

Poem H5317
Amsterdam, 2025-03-15
Higher physics #1 (Ellen Deckwitz) - 2019
Poem (collection "Hogere natuurkunde"), pages 7, 13, 15
Collection: Death on Cast
Tribute to: Deckwitz, Ellen 
 

Grandpa is bony,

his mouth speaks clearly, even --


though he says nothing.


Opa is knokig,Großvaters Mund spricht
zijn mond spreekt duidelijke taal --eine deutliche Sprache --

ook al zegt hij niets.auch wenn er nichts sagt.

Poem H4536
Amsterdam, 2024-02-24
Grandfather (Bart Moeyaert) - 2019
Poem "Grootvader" (collection "Helium")
Collection: Actively Passive
Tribute to: Moeyaert, Bart 
 

I flounder, hanging

over grandpa's leg, hello --


super shiny shoes!


Ik hang spartelendIch hänge zappelnd
over opa's been, hallo --über Opas Bein, hallo --

glanzende schoenen!glänzende Schuhe!

Poem H4537
Amsterdam, 2024-02-24
Grandfather (Bart Moeyaert) - 2019
Poem "Grootvader" (collection "Helium")
Collection: Here &Now&
Tribute to: Moeyaert, Bart 
 

To my arms rushes

the happiness of her eyes --


straight into my heart.


Naar mijn armen rentZu meinen Armen
de blijdschap van haar ogen --rennt das Glück ihrer Augen --

rechtstreeks mijn hart in.direkt in mein Herz.

Poem H4052
Amsterdam, 2023-08-18
a disordered feeling of happiness (Antjie Krog) - 2022
Poem " 'n onordelike gevoel van geluk" (collection "Plunder" ["Pillage"]) - A grandchild comes to visit
Collection: Loves Tricks Gains Pains in the years 2020-2029
Tribute to: Krog, Antjie 
 

Zywa On the balcony at Grandma's

Grandma is bored, she waits
for my wedding and perhaps
she fantasises that I'm getting pregnant

How would it have been
with grandfather and her in bed?
We don't talk about that

just about the afternoons
in the sun, gaining some
colour for the summer

She would have liked that, but
at that time people thought differently
Anyway, bikinis did not yet exist

So much has changed, she reads it
to me from the magazine
and I laugh at her astonishment

She is old, her hair as white
as the walls in this sun, lovely
My friend does not have to come yet

Poem 4781
Amsterdam, 2022-11-07
Second Story Sunlight (Edward Hopper) - 1960
Painting
Collection: NightWatch
Tribute to: Hopper, Edward 
 

A glimpse of grandad,

he left immediately --


yet I still smell him.


Een glimp van opa,Mein Opa war da,
hij is alweer vertrokken --er ist bereits weg, aber --

maar ik ruik hem nog.ich rieche ihn noch.

Poem H3166
Amsterdam, 2022-01-02
Beside Myself (Marianna Salzmann) - 2017
Novel "Außer sich", chapter '36 hours'
Collection: Tightrope walk
Tribute to: Salzmann, Marianna 
 

Zywa Reality today

Dear grandma, I remember you

and a few of your stories

of the war, the little big

dramas to commemorate



my children only hear them half

because of the bombardment

of images of wars far away

daily in the news



so

we play reality today

to feel, to know

how rending it is



I am the grandma and my daughter

is her mother, the street breaks

after a shot, the air creaks

and we hold our breath

Poem 1030
Amsterdam, 2019-06-27
Collection: BloodTrunk 
 

I know my grandad

from pictures, old stories, and --


from my own genes too.


Ik ken mijn opaIch kenne Opa
van foto's, verhalen en --von Fotos, Geschichten und --

mijn eigen genen.von meinen Genen.

Poem H1884
Amsterdam, 2017-12-03
On the death of Herman H
Collection: Life line 
Dedicated to: Ineke J, Mark H, Christel H, Ellen H, Marianne H 
 

Grandpa, I miss you;

you taught me how to tell time --


but that is okay.


Opa, ik mis je;Opa hat mir bei-
je leerde mij klokkijken --gebracht, die Uhr zu lesen --

maar dat is niet erg.Das ist nicht so schlimm.

Poem H1686
Amsterdam, 2017-05-11
Carnival is not vulgar, neither is my muse (Delphine Lecompte) - 2015
Poem "Carnaval is niet vulgair, mijn muze evenmin" (collection "Dichter, bokser, koningsdochter")
Collection: Em Brace
Tribute to: Lecompte, Delphine 
 

I am a titan,

hand in hand with my grandchild --


larger than myself.


Een titaan ben ikMit meinem Enkel-
aan de hand van mijn kleinkind --kind bin ich wie ein Titan --

groter dan mijzelf.größer als ich selbst.

Poem H0430
Amsterdam, 2013-03-24
Collection: The Praised One
 

The child falls asleep

in the warm bed, with the voice --


of fairy granny.


In het warme bedIm 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)

Dory

Collection: The climbing house
Dedicated to: Dory dK, Madelief dK 
 

Up here on the hill

where grandma came so often --


times flow together.


Hier op de heuvelHier auf die Höhe
waar mijn oma zo vaak kwam --wo Großmutter so oft kam --

vloeit de tijd ineen.vermischt sich die Zeit.

Poem H0028
Amsterdam, 2011-11-26
Collection: Silent walk
 

 

 
Grandad
Oirschot, 1964-08-25
Pieter W en Frans dK
Collection: Photo's 1964
 

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