While I brush my teeth,

I look around a bit, stretch --


and stare at my feet.


Ik poets mijn tanden,Ich putze mir die
kijk wat rond, rek me uit, en --Zähne, dehne mich, starre --

staar naar mijn voeten.auf meine Füße.

Poem H6288
Amsterdam, 2026-05-24
Winter (Karl Ove Knausgård) - 2015
Autobiographical novel "Om vinteren", part 2, chapter 'January', § 'Toothbrushes' - Glemmingebro (near Ystad)
Collection: Writing
Tribute to: Knausgård, Karl Ove 
 

I know my hometown

and turn the corner without --


being curious.


Ik ken mijn woonplaatsIn meinem Wohnort
en sla de hoek om zonder --biege ich um die Ecke --

nieuwsgierig te zijn.gar nicht neugierig.

Poem S3161
Amsterdam, 2026-05-21
Autumn (Karl Ove Knausgård) - 2015
Autobiographical novel "Om høsten", part 2, chapter 'October', § 'Stubble field', referring to the diary of Witold Gombrowicz - Glemmingebro (near Ystad)
Collection: Writing
Tribute to: Knausgård, Karl Ove 
 

Zywa Change projects

My work is not too much for me
On the contrary, it is not enough
result and even confirms
what should have changed

It is new bottles
for soured wine
It doesn't resolve any
problems, it reassures
the managers

And that is what I live off
That is what makes me unhappy
and the staff even more so

      after the walking meditation
      on the company's mission
      after writing haiku together
      singing keynotes
      and, if necessary, fire-

      walking
      to change fearlessly
      and to do that together
      even if the boss does not dare

Poem 6000
Amsterdam, 2026-04-28
Night Guide (Marjolijn van Heemstra) - 2025
Novel "Nachtgids", paragraph 2
Collection: Half The Work
Tribute to: Van Heemstra, Marjolijn 
 

Hunger of the head:

my habits, the fixed meal times --


that I am used to.


Honger van het hoofd:Hunger des Kopfes:
de vaste etenstijden --die festen Essenszeiten --

die ik gewend ben.die ich gewohnt bin.

Poem H5458
Amsterdam, 2025-05-13
Seven kinds of hunger (Renate Dorrestein) - 2016
Novel "Zeven soorten honger", part Tuesday, chapter Three
Collection: Half The Work
Tribute to: Dorrestein, Renate 
 

Are people clapping?

Nevertheless their faces --


show no emotion!


Klappen de mensen?Klatschen die Leute?
Toch tonen hun gezichten --Ihre Gesichter zeigen --

geen enthousiasme!keine Emotion!

Poem S2540
Amsterdam, 2025-01-30
She came to stay (Simone de Beauvoir) - 1943
Novel (roman à clef) "L'invitée" (1943, "She came to stay" / "The Invitee", 1949), part 1, chapter 7
Collection: Wean Di
Tribute to: De Beauvoir, Simone 
 

My key does not fit

in de front door of my house --


My previous home.


Mijn sleutel past nietMein Schlüssel passt nicht
in de voordeur van mijn huis --in die Tür meines Hauses --

Mijn vorige thuis.Das vorherige.

Poem S1878
Amsterdam, 2023-08-21
New way (Ellen Deckwitz) - 2023
Column "Nieuwe weg" (in the NRC on August 21st, 2023)
Collection: Death on Cast
Tribute to: Deckwitz, Ellen 
 

Exactly the same

people walk the same circles --


on the holiday.


Dezelfde mensenDieselben Leute
lopen dezelfde rondjes --laufen dieselben Runden --

op hun vrije dag.an dem Feiertag.

Poem H3852
Amsterdam, 2023-06-13
Child between four women (Simon Vestdijk) - 1972
Novel "Kind tussen vier vrouwen", written in 1933, § 6 (AD 1909)
Collection: Inmost [1]
Tribute to: Vestdijk, Simon 
 

Father chases me,

we run around the table --


three times, always three.


Vader zit mij na,Vater verfolgt mich,
we rennen om de tafel --es geht um den Tisch herum --

drie keer, altijd drie.dreimal, immer drei.

Poem H3854
Amsterdam, 2023-06-13
Child between four women (Simon Vestdijk) - 1972
Novel "Kind tussen vier vrouwen", written in 1933, § 6 (AD 1909)
Collection: Inmost [1]
Tribute to: Vestdijk, Simon 
 

All in due time please,

we eat the soup and the flies --


but not in one bite.


Alles op zijn tijd,Alles rechtzeitig,
we eten soep en vliegen --Suppe und Fliegen, aber --

maar niet in één hap.nicht in éinem Biss.

Poem H3202
Amsterdam, 2022-02-15
The rat of Amsterdam (Pieter Waterdrinker) - 2020
Novel "De rat van Amsterdam"
Collection: Rasping ants
Tribute to: Waterdrinker, Pieter 
 

Sometimes I think: Aye!

I will tell you right away! --


And then it is still.


O ja, denk ik soms,Manchmal denke ich:
even aan jou vertellen! --Das werde ich dir sagen! --

En dan is het stil.Und dann ist es still.

Poem H3133
Amsterdam, 2021-11-24
The lasting bond with a dear deceased
Collection: Moons
Dedicated to: Ineke J 
 

Strange, to be able

to say the prayers quickly --


slowly it doesn't work.


Vreemd, de gebedenSeltsam, Gebete
vlug op te kunnen zeggen --ganz schnell sagen zu können --

langzaam lukt het niet.langsam klappt es nicht.

Poem S1221
Amsterdam, 2021-08-25
The Bell (Iris Murdoch) - 1958
Novel
Collection: Dreams of love
Tribute to: Murdoch, Iris 
 

Absent, I'm busy

as if my actions were real --


but I do mean it.


Afwezig ben ikIch tue so, als
bezig alsof het echt is --wäre es real, aber --

maar ik meen het wel.ich meine es ernst.

Poem S1104
Amsterdam, 2020-12-12
Dollhouse (Esther Gerritsen) - 2020
Column "Poppenhuis" in the VPRO guide
Collection: Actively Passive
Tribute to: Gerritsen, Esther 
 

She is old, fidgets,

before sitting down she fans --


the dust off the chair.


Ze is oud, wriemelt,Sie ist alt, zappelt,
waaiert voor ze gaat zitten --fächert bevor sie sich setzt --

het stof van de stoel.etwas Staub vom Stuhl.

Poem S1057
Amsterdam, 2020-10-01
The Pillow Book (Sei Sh?nagon) - 1002
Diary "Makura no S?shi" #26
Collection: Shelter
Tribute to: Shonagon, Sei 
 

My life is really

a play, each and every day --


exactly the same.


Mijn leven is echtMein Leben ist echt
een toneelstuk, dagelijks --ein Bühnenstück, jeden Tag --

precies hetzelfde.genau das gleiche.

Poem S0944
Amsterdam, 2019-10-10
Endgame (Samuel Beckett) - 1957
Theater Rotterdam with Hans Croiset
Collection: VacantVoid
Tribute to: Whien, Erik; Beckett, Samuel 
 

I just shouldn't always

have to do the usual --


things that don't matter.


Hoefde ik maar nietIch habe sie satt,
steeds die gewone dingen --diese übliche Dinge --

waar het niet om gaat.die unwichtig sind.

Poem H2344
Amsterdam, 2019-01-09
The perpetual motion machine of love (Renate Dorrestein) - 1988
Autobiographical account "Het Perpetuum Mobile van de Liefde", chapter 1 Zet eens een kroon op uw liehiefde (Crown your lo-ove)
Collection: Lack
Tribute to: Dorrestein, Renate 
 

I'm quitting smoking,

because it feels so good, so --


I don't quit quitting.


Ik stop met roken,Rauchen: es fühlt sich
want dat voelt zo goed, dus stop --gut an, aufzuhören, ich --

ik niet met stoppen.hör nicht damit auf.

Poem S0814
Amsterdam, 2018-11-19
The Commune (Franca Treur) - 2014
Novel "De woongroep", chapter 2
Collection: Stall
Tribute to: Treur, Franca 
 

Numbed by my routines

I noticed nothing at all --


of the Force in me.


Verdoofd door mijn sleurBetäubt von meinem
merkte ik helemaal niets --Trott habe ich nichts gemerkt --

van de Kracht in mij.von Der Kraft in mir.

Poem S0673
Zandvoort aan Zee, 2018-02-02
Aleph (Paulo Coelho) - 2010
Novel "O Aleph"
Collection: No wonder
Tribute to: Coelho, Paulo 
 

I leave a little

of the food I was given --


Yes, it is tasty!


Ik laat wat overIch lasse etwas
van het eten op mijn bord --Essen auf meinem Teller --

Ja, het is lekker!Ja, es ist lecker!

Poem S0577
Amsterdam, 2017-12-01
Diary 1966-1967 (Frida Vogels) - 2009
"Dagboek 1966-1967" - August 19th, 1966, San Severo
Collection: Self-portraits
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida 
 

People's way of life

simply cannot be altered --


only be destroyed.


Iemands leefwijzeDen Lebensstil der
kun je niet veranderen --Menschen kann nicht verändert --

alleen verwoesten.nur zerstört werden.

Poem H1764
Amsterdam, 2017-08-13
The hard core - 1 (Frida Vogels) - 1992
Autobiographical account "De harde kern" - 1, July 1968, Cupra Marittima (below Ascona)
Collection: Between us
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida 
 

Zywa Embrace who is dear to me

My life is a sequence of details
of getting dressed and small talk
wishing to walk away or embrace
and being tired at the end of the day

without a mainline, no game
of double tongue, linguistic tricks
or metaphors, not even
a virtual reality

of bloodless love
and polished pain
in detached poems
that push beyond the familiar

The details include
my love and my pain
which I learn to know in the everyday
of being tired, wishing to walk away

or embrace who is dear to me
what I often don't do

Poem 987
Amsterdam, 2017-01-31
Collection: It takes a lot of tries to make a début
 

Zywa Out - of habit

Today, on the heath, I walked
out of my habits

I looked back and saw anger and
powerlessness hiding behind them

A fear that I couldn't recognise
looked away, feelings

stirred within me
They pounded for help

Please, do not return
to your habits

Poem 844
Amsterdam, 2016-11-26
Collection: Pending rain
 

Habits will straighten

the learning spiral until --


it no longer springs.


Gewoontes trekkenVorschriften ziehen
de leerspiraal langzaam recht --die Lernspirale straff, bis --

tot ze niet meer veert.sie nicht mehr federt.

Poem S0118
Amsterdam, 2014-01-25
Collection: Pending rain
 

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