They are dear to me,

all the mellow memories --


of the life we shared.


Ze zijn mij dierbaar,Sie sind mir kostbar,
al de herinneringen --all die Erinnerungen --
aan onze liefde.an unsre Liebe.

Poem H5092
Amsterdam, 2024-11-24
Collection: Greeting from before
Dedicated to: Ineke J 
 

This black hole in time,

the accident, will be filled --


with my memories.


Dat gat in de tijd,Das Loch in der Zeit,
het ongeluk, raakt gevuld --der Unfall, wird gefüllt mit --
met ons verleden.Erinnerungen.

Poem H4477
Amsterdam, 2024-01-29
Outside, it's Monday (J. Bernlef) - 2003
Novel "Buiten is het maandag", chapter 6-4
Collection: Being my own museum
Tribute to: Bernlef, J. 
 

Should I continue

her life, and keep inventing --


how she would do things?


Wil ik haar levenSoll ich ihr Leben
voortzetten, steeds verzinnen --fortsetzen, stets erfinden --
hoe zij het zou doen?was sie tun würde?

Poem S2056
Amsterdam, 2023-12-18
Perfect silence (Thomas Verbogt) - 2011
Novel "Perfecte stilte", chapter Looking back
Collection: Stall
Tribute to: Verbogt, Thomas 
 

We did homework, I

kept looking at you, and that --


remains a raw spot.


We maakten huiswerk,Hausaufgaben, ich
ik keek steeds naar jou, en dat --hab dich ständig angeschaut --
blijft een rauwe plek.und das ist noch roh.

Poem H4130
Amsterdam, 2023-09-09
A Change of tongue (Antjie Krog) - 2003
Tale, part 1 § 8, "Chapter twenty-nine" and "Chapter thirty-three"; part 1 § 9, "Chapter forty-two"
Collection: Blankets of snow
Tribute to: Krog, Antjie 
 

You're invisible,

yet you must be there, under --


the water surface.


Je bent onzichtbaar,Du bist unsichtbar,
toch moet je er zijn, onder --dennoch bist du da, unter --
de waterspiegel.des Wasserspiegels.

Poem H4074
Amsterdam, 2023-08-24
Below the waterline - I. Sunken land (Marc Tritsmans) - 2020
Poem "Onder de waterlijn - I. Verzonken land", in Hollands Maandblad (2020, nr. 6/7) and in the collection "Terwijl wij nog slapen" (2023)
Collection: Finethreads
Tribute to: Tritsmans, Marc 
 

I wait and jot down

all these questions I ask you --


I write you near me.


Wachtend noteer ikIch notiere die
de vragen die ik je stel --Fragen, die ich dir stelle --
Ik schrijf jou bij me.Ich schreib dich zu mir.

Poem H4027
Amsterdam, 2023-08-11
writing retreat (Antjie Krog) - 2022
Poem (collection "Plunder" ["Pillage"])
Collection: Over
Tribute to: Krog, Antjie 
 

We are shocked to see

her over there just like that --


and then it isn't her.


We schrikken ervan,Es erschreckt uns sehr,
haar zomaar ineens te zien --sie einfach so zu sehen --
maar ze is het niet.doch sie ist es nicht.

Poem H3763
Amsterdam, 2023-03-21
Not (Anna Enquist) - 2004
Poem "Niet" (collection "De tussentijd", in memory of her daughter Margit (1974-2001))
Collection: Stall
Tribute to: Enquist, Anna 
 

I walk all day long,

thinking all the time, thinking --


of you, behind me.


DagwandelingenIch geh stundenlang
maak ik, denkend en denkend --und denke, denke immer --
aan jou, achter mij.an dich, hinter mir.

Poem H3764
Amsterdam, 2023-03-21
Walking (Anna Enquist) - 2004
Poem "Wandeling" (collection "De tussentijd", in memory of her daughter Margit (1974-2001))
Collection: Stall
Tribute to: Enquist, Anna 
 

I see her back, there,

on the corner, where again --


she is not standing.


In andermans rugDrüben sehe ich
zie ik haar staan, op de hoek --ihren Rücken, dort, wo sie --
waar ze weer niet staat.schon wieder nicht steht.

Poem H3766
Amsterdam, 2023-03-21
Inside (Anna Enquist) - 2004
Poem "Binnen" (collection "De tussentijd", in memory of her daughter Margit (1974-2001))
Collection: Stall
Tribute to: Enquist, Anna 
 

I pity old friends:

the old memories they share --


can be so hurtful.


Ach, oude vrienden:Ach, alte Freunde:
oude herinneringen --alte Erinnerungen --
kunnen hen kwetsen.können verletzen.

Poem S1568
Amsterdam, 2022-11-16
The Satanic Verses (Salman Rushdie) - 1988
Novel, chapter III. L-O-N-D-O-N §4
Collection: Low gear
Tribute to: Rushdie, Salman 
 

I just forget her.

Am I insensitive? No --


over-sensitive.


Ik vergeet haar al.Ich vergesse sie.
Ben ik ongevoelig? Nee --Bin ich unempfindlich? Nein --
overgevoelig.überempfindlich.

Poem S1506
Amsterdam, 2022-09-07
A pleasant postumity: letters 1965-1997 (Herman de Coninck) - 1996
Letter 411, from Herman de Coninck to Kristien Hemmerechts, December 29th, 1996 (in "Een aangename postumiteit: brieven 1965-1997"); published in 2004
Collection: Shortages
Tribute to: De Coninck, Herman 
 

I do like to talk

with your mind, but the white sheet --


doesn't look good on it.


Met jouw geest praat ikGewiss, dein Geist spricht
graag, maar het witte laken --ganz klug, aber das Laken --
staat hem niet zo best.steht ihm nicht sehr gut.

Poem H2829
Amsterdam, 2020-11-15
Dreams of metaphysics (Riekus Waskowsky) - 1966
Poem "Träume der Metaphysik" ("Gandalf", (no. 13, January 1966)
Collection: Loves Tricks Gains Pains in the 60s and 70s
Tribute to: Waskowsky, Riekus 
 

Our life is partly

different now, without you --


We say it out loud.


Ons leven is deelsUnser Leben ist
anders zonder jou, hardop --ja anders ohne dich, laut --
spreken we dat uit.sprechen wir das aus.

Poem H2631
Amsterdam, 2019-11-23
On November 24th, Herman H's day of death
Collection: Changing Times
Dedicated to: Ineke J, Mark H, Christel H, Ellen H, Marianne H 
 

Zywa No scratches in the gold

The rust of decayed roses
in filthy vases, dust
on the table, once with love

been made from the bones
of a beech giant

next to the old letters
handwritten sketches
of two souls, forever

young without worries
no scratches in the gold

of the promised fidelity
no indefinite questions
or double doubts

that burrow and toss
between skin against skin

Poem 2315
Amsterdam, 2019-06-28
Collection: The Yellow House Museum
 

Nothing is purer

than jet-black ash residues --


from a burning love.


Niets is zuiverderNichts ist reiner als
dan gitzwarte asresten --schwarze Ascherückstände --
van een liefdesbrand.eines Liebesbrands.

Poem H2451
Amsterdam, 2019-05-04
Ash is purest white (Zhangke Jia) - 2018
Poem "Jiang hu er nü"
Collection: Loves Tricks Gains Pains in the 10s
Tribute to: Jia, Zhangke 
 

Zywa My whole heart

Cleaning up the shelves
swiping the dust away
I take time

to read the old newspaper
with a ristretto
a second one

when I find
a note that I once wrote
about my love, my heart

I was young
my lover had left me
and it was clear, he took

a piece of my heart with him
It happened to me before
Now I'm here with myself

wondering how
my heart can beat
with the love holes

Poem 1950
Amsterdam, 2018-11-30
Inspired by "My Whole Heart" (Saskia MacKende)
Collection: Freend
 

His grave isn't a stone,

but a luminous island:


my recollection.


Zijn graf is geen steen,Sein Grab: kein Stein, nein
maar een lichtgevend eiland:eine leuchtende Insel --
mijn herinnering.der Erinnerung.

Poem H2317
Amsterdam, 2018-11-05
Collection: Local tardiness
Dedicated to: Ineke J 
 

His grave isn't a stone,

it is an island in time:


my recollection.


Zijn graf is geen steen,Sein Grab ist kein Stein,
maar een eiland in de tijd:ist in der Zeit die Insel --
mijn herinnering.der Erinnerung.

Poem H2316
Amsterdam, 2018-11-04
Collection: Local tardiness
Dedicated to: Ineke J 
 

Zywa Love now

To see you there
serving in black
with undercut hair
I thought that man
looks very like you

You don't recognize me!
you said challenging
Or may your beauty
madam, be too
pretty to me?

I was a girl, but you
led me like a lady
wrapped in a towel
from an expensive hotel to your bed
and afterwards we drank hot chocolate

Would it be different now?
What have we learned
of loving? Do we know
the secret, the tricks and the pains
the sake of peace and our impatience?

We still are young, do you think so?
Yes, the time is hesitating – that's how
I live since then, in anticipation
of you maybe, anyway
that is over now, yes I think so

Poem 1504
Amsterdam, 2017-08-09
Collection: It takes a lot of tries to make a début
Dedicated to: Ivelina K 
 

The flowers smell sweet

and most precious memories --


that never wither.


De bloemen geurenDie Blumen riechen
zoete herinneringen --süße Erinnerungen --
die nooit verdorren.die nie verdorren.

Poem H0583
Amsterdam, 2013-09-28
Collection: Moons
 

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: Pending rain
 

Zywa
Keyword
Memory: of someone
GermanDutch5-7-5
PencilPumiceRainLoves
CompressedBirdsIflessPhoto
TributesDedicationsComposersHome
Attention is like sunshineMention © Zywa when using texts,
drawings, designs, paintings and photos
Search word:  CTRL-F