Whatever, you know,

I'm a witch, a black one, but --


a sweet one as well!


Och ja, je weet het,Na ja, du weißt, ich
ik ben een heks, een zwarte --bin eine schwarze Hexe --

maar wel een lieve!und eine süße!

Poem H5495
Amsterdam, 2025-05-24
With a photo of Madelief and Florentin taken during a video call (October 31st, 2010)

Madelief and Florentin

Collection:
Dedicated to: Madelief dK, Florentin dK 
 

So old-fashioned, that

wallpaper, that curtain, me --


in that room, back then.


Wat ouderwets, datWie altmodisch, die
behang, dat gordijn, ikzelf --Tapete, der Vorhang, ich --

in die kamer, toen.in diesem Zimmer.

Poem H5496
Amsterdam, 2025-05-24
With a photo of Madelief taken during a video call (December 26th, 2012)

Madelief

Collection: Blown sand
Dedicated to: Madelief dK 
 

I look like a ghost,

my colours fade, my body --


is a skeleton.


Ik lijk wel een spook,Ich bin ein Gespenst,
mijn kleur verdwijnt, mijn lichaam --fast farblos, mein Körper wird --

wordt al een skelet.bereits zum Skelett.

Poem S2412
Amsterdam, 2024-10-13
Collection: Blown sand
Dedicated to: Maria Godschalk 
 

Every now and then

a fragment, I sense what's left --


of the past, in me.


Af en toe een flard,Manchmal ein Fragment,
ik tast af wat over is --ich taste was von früher --

van vroeger, in mij.übrig ist, in mir.

Poem H4382
Amsterdam, 2023-12-20
Collection: Local traffic
 

Zywa The swap

In the evening I like to walk
through the streets, looking
at the people in their houses
and then I wonder who
I would like to swap with

and what kind of swap that would be
What do I give and what do I get?
A soul for a soul, maybe
not to keep forever
but, who would want mine

with all its consequences?
Of course I don't get an answer
A bird on a street-lamp
is looking at me, it's night
so it doesn't sing

whether it's free or captive
it doesn't sing, because it's night
But we're not alone now
and I'd like to swap with it
Yes, I did

Poem 5307
Amsterdam, 2023-09-24
The Deal (Mitski) - 2023
Song (album "The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We")
Collection: Reaching out
Tribute to: Mitski (Miyawaki, Mitski) 
 

Disabled people

evolve, as human beings --


they become braver.


GehandicaptenDie Behinderte
ontwikkelen zich, als mens --entwickeln sich, als Menschen --

zijn ze dapperder.sind sie mutiger.

Poem H3942
Amsterdam, 2023-07-09
The Good Apprentice (Iris Murdoch) - 1985
Novel, chapter 2, part 6
Collection: Longing and Loss
Tribute to: Murdoch, Iris 
 

People only change

when someone else forces them --


They can't change themselves.


Een mens verandertMenschen ändern sich
slechts als een ander hem dwingt --nur unter Zwang, sie können --

Zelf kan hij dat niet.das nicht selbst machen.

Poem S1492
Amsterdam, 2022-08-13
The next story (Cees Nooteboom) - 1991
Novella "Het volgende verhaal"
"It is the difference between gods and people. Gods can change themselves, people can only be changed."

Collection: Willegos
Tribute to: Nooteboom, Cees 
 

Zywa My life line

I want to live without the ready-to-wears
of my former identities, I don't want to
be a former colleague, not a patient

with a rare disease
of the most severe category
rescued in the hospital mill

I want to live without the pity
that compassionate eyes attribute to me
I am still who I was

With a new decoration --
my hidden life line
with a curve

around my belly button:
here I am
Reborn

Poem 3521
Amsterdam, 2021-03-01
Identity = Being identical to
Collection: On living on [1]
Dedicated to: Maria Godschalk 
 

It's a lot of work,

to be who you want to be --


a lot of redo's.


Het is best veel werk,Es ist viel Arbeit,
te worden wie je wilt zijn --zu werden, wer du sein willst --

het moet vaak over.mit vielen Nochmals.

Poem H2611
Amsterdam, 2019-11-15
Collection: Migration
Dedicated to: Florentin dK 
 

Zywa Torn off

The books are decorations
only covers, gold-leafed
light and empty, my legacy
in attic racks

I would laugh at it
if I didn't cough
of the dust (to dust)

There's a paper inserted
torn off the certificate
of a birth

A secret. I have been legitimized
Made real with a stamp
I live under a false name

It feels like dying
of the question what
name I would like and what

would it change? This official
document erases my name
I will always think:
It's not who I am

Poem 2306
Amsterdam, 2019-06-26
Collection: I am
 

Zywa Who I am

I peek at my classmates
who I am, and I try it
out on them, because
they don't know me yet

Not as well as Mum
who already knows who I am
and comments on it
which often stops me

from being myself, from doing
as I please, Mum says
rather take example
by your brother or by us

I find it quite a hassle
to find out how
I am, I think I am
constantly changing

Poem 2283
Amsterdam, 2019-06-19
Collection: I am
 

Every big change is

scary: now it could happen --


You might be exposed.


Een veranderingVeränderung macht
is eng: misschien ga je nu --Angst, schließlich könnte man nun --

door de mand vallen.bloßgestellt werden.

Poem S0492
Amsterdam, 2017-06-25
On closer inspection (Han Voskuil) - 1963
Autobiographical novel "Bij nader inzien" - October 28th, 1949, Amsterdam
Collection: Elude
Tribute to: Voskuil, Han 
 

Well, I've become who

I didn't want to be, and she --


is okay with it.


Ik ben gewordenIch bin, wer ich nicht
wie ik niet wilde worden --sein wollte, und sie ist da-

en die vindt dat best.mit einverstanden.

Poem H1669
Amsterdam, 2017-03-09
Gosh (Sanne Wallis de Vries) - 2016
Theatre programme "Gut"
Collection: Willegos
Tribute to: Wallis de Vries, Sanne 
 

Everything changes,

and I, do I like to be


different? with you?


Alles verandert,Alles ändert sich,
en ik, wil ik anders zijn?und ich, will ich anders sein?

en kan dat bij jou?und geht das bei dir?

Poem H0046
Amsterdam, 2011-11-30
Collection: The climbing house
 

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