I am different,

they call me the madwoman --


of the castle here.


Ik val uit de toon,Ich bin anders, hier
daarom ben ik hier bekend --werde ich die Verrückte --

als de kasteelgek.vom Kastell genannt.

Poem S2928
Amsterdam, 2025-08-27
Diary 1972-1973 (Frida Vogels) - 2012
"Dagboek 1972-1973" - July 30th, 1973, San Severo - "La pazza di Drione" (The madwoman of Drione)
Castel Drione is the original name of San Severo (hence, San Severo is called 'Castellina' in the diaries), and Drione is also the surname of Frida's mother-in-law

Collection: Overwritten
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida 
 

I was a stranger

when I arrived, I still am --


now that I must go.


Ik was een vreemdeIch war ein Fremder,
toen ik aankwam, ik ben het --als ich kam, ich bin es jetzt --

nog nu ik weg moet.wo ich gehen muss.

Poem S1957
Amsterdam, 2023-10-13
Goodnight (Wilhelm Müller / Franz Schubert) - 1824
Poem "Gute Nacht", cyclus "Winterreise" (MAT4190), music 1827, Franz Schubert
Collection: On the fly
Tribute to: Mueller, Wilhelm 
Composer: Schubert, Franz 
 

Look at the hippo

then you'll cease to be amazed --


at human beings.


Kijk naar het nijlpaard,Schau dich das Nilpferd
dan verbaas je je niet meer --an, dann staunst du dich nicht mehr --

over de mensen.über die Menschen.

Poem H3647
Amsterdam, 2023-01-05
Get away (Luigi Pirandello) - 1933
Story "Sgombero"
Collection: No wonder
Tribute to: Pirandello, Luigi 
 

I know, people laugh

at Daddy, at how he speaks --


and how he dresses.


De mensen lachenDie Leute lachen
om papa, om hoe hij spreekt --über Papa, wie er spricht --

en hoe hij zich kleedt.wie er sich kleidet.

Poem S1627
Amsterdam, 2023-01-04
Fragment of a chronicle of Marco Leccio and his war on the map in the time of the Great War in Europe, II (Luigi Pirandello) - 1919
Story "Frammento di cronaca di Marco Leccio e della sua guerra sulla carta nel tempo della grande guerra europea", II
Collection: Actively Passive
Tribute to: Pirandello, Luigi 
 

I am all desert

and pomegranates, expressed --


in icy language.


Ik ben een en alIch bin ganz Wüste
woestijn en granaatappels --und Granatäpfel, gefasst --

in een taal van ijs.in Worten aus Eis.

Poem H3521
Amsterdam, 2022-10-23
My country & My own language (Jila Mossaed) - 1997
Poems "Mitt land" and "Mitt eget språk" (collection "Månen och den eviga kon")
Asylum in Sweden

Collection: Being my own museum
Tribute to: Mossaed, Jila 
 

To welcome vagrants

is difficult, you're afraid --


they'll smear the carpet.


Zwervers ontvangenPenner empfangen
is moeilijk, want je bent bang --ist schwierig, du hast Angst, vor --

voor een vies tapijt.Schmutz auf dem Teppich.

Poem S1140
Amsterdam, 2021-02-17
Totality and Infinity (Emmanuel Levinas) - 1961
"Totalité et Infini"
Collection: Truder
Tribute to: Levinas, Emmanuel 
 

Zywa Speak my language

You don't belong with us
we are better

I have to choose
between participating or not
or clean hands

We learn we
are better
and we let it be known

Diabolical stupidity dances
through the streets - everyone
who is not like us

Here you have a thick letter
of chocolate, the sign
of your name, this is you

Take, eat, grow up
redeem yourself
from dependence

Speak
my language

Poem 2320
Amsterdam, 2019-06-29
Slav = someone who speaks my language
Collection: The light of words
 

Zywa What's peculiar?

Am I peculiar
because I collect stamps?

Does mom look at me with pity
while cleaning?

Should I please dad
and talk with him about the politics
of the countries I collected?

What's peculiar about a large safe
to secure items of value?

Is it my job to buy the groceries
that mom forgot?

Why do people always laugh
when they hear that I am a member
of the Big Lick Stamp Club?

Poem 2159
Amsterdam, 2019-03-15
APS = American Philatelic Society
The Big Lick Stamp Club is the APS-chapter in Roanoke (VA)

Collection: I am
 

Zywa Dim rooms

I walk through the village
The sun shines, the wind blows
a little through my hair

The shutters are closed
with chinks thin as needles
with long narrow eyes

My shadow doesn't fall inside
anywhere, there are none
in the dim rooms

where the light drearily
obscures what is going on
and what the consequences are

of everyone's comings and goings
The peeping people press me
as compelling devils

out of their eyes
out of the chinks in their lives
The sun upon me is insufferable

Poem 1785
Amsterdam, 2018-06-07
No Exit (Jean-Paul Sartre) - 1943
"L'enfer, c'est les Autres" ("Hell is other people"), from the one-act play "Huis clos" ("No Exit" / "Closed doors", 1943, Jean-Paul Sartre)
Collection: PumicePieces
Tribute to: Sartre, Jean-Paul 
 

A stranger passed by

we had to watch him: he went --


where we dare not go.


Een vreemdeling kwamEin Fremder kam mal
voorbij: wij keken, hij ging --vorbei: wir schauten, er ging --

waar wij niet durven.wo wir's nicht wagen.

Poem H1949
Amsterdam, 2018-01-01
Someone came among us (Frida Vogels) - 2014
Poem "Iemand kwam onder ons" (diary 1977-1978)
Collection: Helices
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida 
 

This ramp leads me to

a strange country, a strange life --


Most strange here... am I.


Op de loopplank naarAuf der Laufbrücke
een vreemd land, een vreemd leven --zum fremden Land und Leben --

Het vreemdst hier... ben ik.Meist fremd hier... bin ich.

Poem S0299
Amsterdam, 2015-06-30
Strange (Thé Lau) - 2006
Song "Vreemd" (album "Tempel der liefde")
Collection: Passage Passion
Tribute to: Lau, The 
 

The stranger looks hard

at his four shadow walkers --


and turns the corner.


De vreemde kijkt strakDer Mann starrt seine
naar zijn vier schaduwlopers --vier Schattenläufer an, und --

en slaat de hoek om.biegt um die Ecke.

Poem S0111
Amsterdam, 2013-12-25
The hour H (Martinus Nijhoff) - 1937
Poem "Het uur U"
Collection: Passage Passion
Tribute to: Nijhoff, Martinus 
 

It is a full moon,

music sounds from the café --


I'm not one of them.


Het is volle maan,Musik erklingt aus
uit het café klinkt muziek --dem Café, es ist Vollmond --

Ik hoor er niet bij.Ich stehe draußen.

Poem S0107
Amsterdam, 2013-12-23
Before dawn - V (Martinus Nijhoff) - 1936
Poem "Voor dag en dauw" - V (published in De Gids)
Collection: Passage Passion
Tribute to: Nijhoff, Martinus 
 

Zywa Angel of grief

High above the horses' corral, the sun
Cutting in the deserted streets
Shutters closed
No fighters and no smugglers
no silver diggers, no luck

Only angry eyes that have seen her
Men go around with clubs
they comb out all the houses
That angel has to leave

I pull her inside, next to my pounding heart
she kisses me until it is over, the dog is alert
and licks her hand, mama is working
dad drinks all day

We wait for the night
I will go with her
away from here, this is not my home
it is a grave, a hollow stone
on which my name never will be written

Poem 28
Amsterdam, 2005-08-04
Tombstone Blues (Bob Dylan) - 1965
Song (album "Highway 61 revisited")
Tombstone, Arizona (where the "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" took place)

Collection: Great Flow 
Tribute to: Dylan, Bob 
 

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