First to become a

hero, then an icon, and --


then perhaps a god.


Eerst een held worden,Erst zum Helden, dann
dan een icoon worden, en --zur Ikone werden, und --

dan misschien een god.dann vielleicht zum Gott.

Poem S3215
Amsterdam, 2026-07-24
The Latter Days of Pilate (Simon Vestdijk) - 1938
Novel "De nadagen van Pilatus", chapter 7
Explanation by the Stoic philosopher Seneca (4 BCE – 65 CE): heros >> demon >> god(ess)

Collection: Inmost [2]
Tribute to: Vestdijk, Simon 
 

The star from the sky

fits nowhere, it keeps rolling --


on across the earth.


Nergens past de sterDer Stern vom Himmel
uit de hemel, ze rolt door --passt nirgendwo hin, er rollt --

over de aarde.über die Erde.

Poem S3164
Amsterdam, 2026-05-23
Glass (Fuensanta Méndez / Ben van Gelder) - 2023
Composition (lyrics Fuensanta Méndez), performed in the Organpark on May 23rd, 2026, by Fuensenta Méndez, Anna Serierse, Marta Arpini, Leva Dumpe, Laura Polence (singing), Ben van Gelder (saxofoon), Kit Downes (organ), Wouter Kühne (percussion), Tijs Klaassen (double bass)
Collection: org anp ARK 
Tribute to: Méndez, Fuensanta; Van Gelder, Ben 
 

As the hero grows

older, his world shrinks, until --


it touches his skin.


De held wordt ouder,Der Held wird älter,
en zijn wereld wordt kleiner --seine Welt schrumpft ein, berührt --

raakt bijna zijn huid.ihn fast auf der Haut.

Poem H6235
Amsterdam, 2026-05-05
Late (Salman Rushdie) - 2025
Story, paragraph 5, collection "The Eleventh Hour" (page 133)
Collection: Wind
Tribute to: Rushdie, Salman 
 

To you I am no

hero, yet heroic deeds --


I will still perform.


Jij vindt mij geen held,Für dich bin ich kein
maar heldendaden zal ik --Held, und doch vollbringe ich --

zeker verrichten.mal Heldentaten.

Poem H5972
Amsterdam, 2025-10-13
Collection: The climbing house
 

I'm not a failure,

and I will even exceed --


her expectations.


Ik ben niet mislukt,Ich versage nicht,
ik zal haar verwachtingen --werde die Erwartungen --

gaan overtreffen.ja übertreffen.

Poem S2832
Amsterdam, 2025-08-04
Out of uncertainty (Frida Vogels) - 1994
Verse "Uit onzekerheid", published in the collection "De harde kern 3" ("The hard core 3", part VII [Acquiescence]), and in "Diary 1966-1967" (2009) - January 24th, 1966, Bologna
Collection: Self-portraits
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida 
 

Another hero

you have chosen, one worthy --


of your services.


Een andere heldNun hast du einen
heb je gekozen, een die --Helden ausgewählt, deiner --

jouw diensten waard is.Dienstbarkeit würdig.

Poem S2798
Amsterdam, 2025-07-26
You're going out again - towards other goals (Frida Vogels) - 1994
Verse "Je trekt weer uit - op andere doelen af", published in the collection "De harde kern 3" ("The hard core 3", part VI [Kees], and in "Diary 1962-1963" (2007) - July 18th, 1963, Bologna
Collection: Beyond the Cape
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida 
 

You make me suffer:

I am not the heroine --


you so long to serve.


Jij laat me lijden:Du lässt mich leiden:
ik ben niet de heldin die --ich bin nicht die Heldin, der --

jij graag wilt dienen.du dienen möchtest.

Poem S2800
Amsterdam, 2025-07-26
You proudly thought you were my page (Frida Vogels) - 1994
Verse "Je dacht met trots dat je mijn page was", published in the collection "De harde kern 3" ("The hard core 3", part VI [Kees], and in "Diary 1962-1963" (2007) - July 30th, 1963, Bologna
Collection: Beyond the Cape
Tribute to: Vogels, Frida 
 

No one can bring down

a hero, he has to do --


it all by himself.


Niemand kan een heldNiemand kann einen
ten val brengen, dat moet hij --Helden zu Fall bringen, das --

helemaal zelf doen.muss er ja selbst tun.

Poem S2705
Amsterdam, 2025-06-08
Weight: The Myth of Atlas and Heracles (Jeanette Winterson) - 2005
Myth Retelling, chapter Heracles
Collection: May the Might
Tribute to: Winterson, Jeanette 
 

People expect peace

from her, which confuses her --


so she has no peace.


Mensen verwachtenAlle erwarten
vrede van haar, het verwart --Frieden von ihr, verwirrt hat --

haar, ze heeft geen rust.sie keine Ruhe.

Poem S2415
Amsterdam, 2024-10-14
the ground beneath her feet (Salman Rushdie) - 1999
Novel, chapter 1 The Keeper of Bees
Collection: Sludge
Tribute to: Rushdie, Salman 
 

Hesitantly I

follow the poet who gave --


me his room number.


Aarzelend volg ikZögernd folge ich
de dichter die zijn kamer-dem Dichter, der mir seine --

nummer aan mij gaf.Zimmernummer gab.

Poem S2394
Amsterdam, 2024-10-03
Terrace De Doelen [The Targets], Poetry International 1989 (Gerry van der Linden) - 2017
Poem "Terras De Doelen, Poetry International 1989" (collection "Verse helden")
Collection: Look at me
Tribute to: Van Der Linden, Gerry 
 

The past heroes rest

in the dilapidated --


inn that the world is.


De helden rustenDie Helden ruhen
in de vervallen herberg --im verfallenen Gasthaus --

die de wereld is.der heutigen Welt.

Poem H4745
Amsterdam, 2024-07-05
This worn caravanserai (Omar Khayyam) - 1100
Collection "Rubáiyat" ("Quatrains", Omar Khayyam), quatrain in the 1898 version by Edward Heron-Allen
Collection: Stream
Tribute to: Khayyam, Omar 
 

Zywa Labyrinth of lies

To young men, heroism
is attractive and if they manage
to survive the monster
they will choose the honour
of the lie

and not admit how it is
but stick to the story
and boast of their courage
knowing that the monster
is a dusky labyrinth

that also frightened
their predecessors until they realised
that the bones are the remains
of starvation, because
the labyrinth beneath the palace

is empty, and the door is hidden
and locked beneath the throne
of the king, who rules
with the power of the story
of a ravenous monster

and whoever wishes to succeed
him must be clever enough
to escape and then
become complicit
in the deception

Poem 5354
Amsterdam, 2023-11-05
An eye in the sea (Salomé Roodenburg / Willem Boogman) - 2023
Music theatre "Een oog in de zee", about Ariadne and the Minotaur (libretto and scenography Salomé Roodenburg, composition Willem Boogman), performed at the Organpark on November 4th, 2023
Collection: org ANP ark 
Tribute to: Roodenburg, Salomé 
Composer: Boogman, Willem 
 

Zywa Heroes around me

We see each other as heroes
and that helps, yes, I too
can be wise and skillful
in handling the energy of life

realizing that heroes too
are tired after their tours de force
– the life-size warding off
not-living

My parents started it
I sensed their fears
and discovered step by step
more and more for myself

what is unsafe
Sometimes I wait in a corner
for what might happen
encapsulating with love and down

what imposes itself
inside and outside of me
I let it go, let it flow on
I'm balancing in the force field

I want to be healthy
not anaesthetize anything and yet
live a carefree life as if
we always wake up again

Poem 3206
Amsterdam, 2020-10-01
Zhineng Qigong = Wise and Skillful Handling of the Energy of Life
Collection: Lilith's Powers
Dedicated to: Maria Godschalk 
 

Zywa Prince Lugalbanda

He was left sick
in a cave made up as a nest

with dates, figs, in leather bags
also water and wine, light and dark
emmer beer, syrup, bread, butter
cheese and mutton, all set ready
and hanging around his head

In the sweet scent of resins
he lay there as in a grave
and the moon watched over him
After three days he rose
from his dreams and his tears

He set out to cross the mountains
where no trees grow
Prince Lugalbanda
who adorned the young eagle with the lion's head
with kohl around its eyes

and fragrant sprigs of white cedar
on its head, and around the chick
he arranged the fat sheep meat
that he had salted, and chunks
of bread dough mixed with honey

The Storm-bird rewarded him
with the power to run
tirelessly and fast
like seven storms, like the sun
in its orbit in the sky

Poem 2362
Amsterdam, 2019-07-17
Sumerian stories from the 21st century BCE:
"Lugalbanda in the Mountain Cave"
"Lugalbanda and the Storm-bird" (Anzûd)

Collection: Lilith's Powers
 

Zywa Giants on the roofs

High in the mountains
the giants sleep on the roofs
no one sees them
we dream them

when we are young
and folded in ourselves
making great plans
for the world we know

we are already on our way
just landed here
for a while, to grow
on our sky canopy bed

until we wake up
as heroes who put right
what has been made amiss
by the little people

Poem 2255
Amsterdam, 2019-05-30
The Giants (Ella & Pitr) - 2013
"Les Colosses"
Collection: Half The Work
Tribute to: Ella; Pitr 
 

Zywa All's well that ends well

I knew the outside world
from stories: there are forests
and foreigners, mean people too
But always someone comes
to help, and I learned

you can be a hero
It's about the outcome
(the blessed life only starts
  with the happy end)

That's how I grew up
and the world grew along with me
so that my outside world got further
and further away, and I learned

daily life is boring and
it is unfeasible to be a hero
But my little son wants
me to tell something exciting

So I get brews
from the wizards of stories
I stir and boil them up
I let him feast

eager
to be soon grown-up enough
to go into the wide world himself
travelling to the happy end

and I keep silent how far it is
and that it is shifting away
every day, to the future
in which we won't be

Poem 2093
Amsterdam, 2019-02-15
Collection: Secrets & Believers
 

Zywa Rebel

He's doing the things
that stick in our mouths
He throws away the trash

which isn't his, because
the permits are no good
and he is not afraid

for the police, not afraid
for shambles, hospital
and scars, not afraid

to feel the depth
of a fall and then
sparking from short circuits

his head blowing
to pieces in milliseconds
and that's it

The permits are no good
and he's doing the things
that stick in our mouths

Poem 1062
Amsterdam, 2017-02-22
Collection: Half The Work
 

It is such a sad

thing when a giant grows old --


then a lot is lost.


Het is erg wanneerEs ist traurig, wenn
een reus oud wordt, want dan gaat --ein Riese alt wird, denn es --

er veel verloren.geht viel verloren.

Poem S0458
Amsterdam, 2017-01-10
Tom Puss and Bumbum the Great (Marten Toonder) - 1966
Comic strip #115 "Tom Poes en Bombom de Geweldige", tier 5753
Collection: Puss & Lord
Tribute to: Toonder, Marten 
 

Heroes are bright stars,

but here on Earth their light is --


nevertheless weak.


Helden: heldereHelden sind helle
sterren, maar hier op aarde --Sterne, doch auf der Erde --

is hun licht heel zwak.ist ihr Licht sehr schwach.

Poem H1109
Amsterdam, 2015-01-25
Collection: Blown sand
 

With praise, people keep

their distance from the hero --


afraid of his strength.


Met loftuitingenMit Lob wahre ich
houd ik afstand tot de held --Distanz zum Helden, aus Angst --

bang voor wat hij kan.vor dem, was er kann.

Poem S0050
Amsterdam, 2012-02-28
Collection: The Praised One
 

Zywa Sacrificial girl

Underwater under pressure
from mama, I have a constrictor
around my neck, I'm in danger
of dying without a life
I'm a born heroine

Under chairs under the table
I am saving the whole world
with the utmost courage
every day. Just wait
until I'm grown up, a heroine

Under warm sheep's wool
under stars and clouds
I awake bleeding, defenceless
like a lamb, I sink
into my fleece, like a heroine

Poem 94
Vaison-la-Romaine, 2007-11-03
Collection: Mosaic virus
 

Eagles
fly high
Eagles
I too have an overview

I am heroic:
I see the whole
I see what is important
I do what is important
 

Zywa
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