Zywa

Zywa This is a free country

This is a free country
and it must remain so
Dangers are looming -

the familiar list:
war, revolution, poverty
reactionaries, trade unions, and

leftist critics, instigators
with their large caricatures
whom we, the President, denounce

for sedition and conspiracy
against the state, our country
our great country

We urge the postal service
and call up the cartoonists
for military service

Should they go into hiding
or flee across the border?
Even then, they are silenced!

We close the printing presses due to infiltration
We arrest the editorial staff for defamation
We dismantle their offices

Poem 6120
Amsterdam, 2026-09-25
The dissidents (Derf Backderf) - 2026
Comic book about magazine "The Masses" (1911-1917)
Woodrow Wilson, president 1913-1921 (USA)
Collection: Inflictions
Tribute to: Backderf, Derf

The king looks at me

by candlelight: he gives light --

and burns up himself.



De koning kijkt mij	König im Kerzen-
bij kaarslicht aan: hij verlicht --	licht: er erleuchtet mich und --

mij, en brandt zelf op.	verbrennt dabei selbst.

Poem H6388
Amsterdam, 2026-08-22
Portrait of William III (1650-1702), Prince of Orange, King of England and Stadtholder of the Seven United Netherlands, painted in 1692-1693 by Godfried Schalcken
Collection: The climbing house

The ex-minister

speaks out sharply, only now --

he dares to do so.



De oud-minister	Der Ex-Minister
spreekt zich kritisch uit, hij durft --	äußert sich kritisch, nur jetzt --

dat nu pas te doen.	traut er sich dazu.

Poem S3228
Amsterdam, 2026-08-03
No one is waiting for you (Lot Vekemans) - 2018
Theatre play "Niemand wacht op je"
Collection: Patterns
Tribute to: Vekemans, Lot

Former ministers:

send them back! Make them clean up --

what they caused themselves!



Stuur oud-ministers	Die Ex-Minister:
terug! Laat ze hun eigen --	schickt sie zurück! Sie sollen --

rommel opruimen!	ihren Dreck räumen!

Poem S3229
Amsterdam, 2026-08-03
No one is waiting for you (Lot Vekemans) - 2018
Theatre play "Niemand wacht op je"
Collection: Patterns
Tribute to: Vekemans, Lot

You can only win

elections with promises --

of more convenience.



Verkiezingen win	Mann gewinnt Wahlen
je alleen met beloftes --	nur mit Versprechen von mehr --

van meer gemakken.	Bequemlichkeiten.

Poem H6353
Amsterdam, 2026-07-09
A free life (Mariët Meester) - 2025
Autobiographical story "Een vrij leven", chapter XVI
Collection: Patterns
Tribute to: Meester, Mariët

He who pursues grand

plans does not laugh, he creates --

his own tragedy.



Wie grote plannen	Wer große Pläne
nastreeft lacht niet, hij schept zijn --	verfolgt, lacht nicht, er schafft sich --

eigen tragedie.	eine Tragödie.

Poem S3124
Amsterdam, 2026-04-18
My struggle 6. The End (Karl Ove Knausgård) - 2011
Autobiographical novel "Min Kamp. Sjette bok" (translated 2018), part 8 - June 2011, Malmö
Collection: Writing
Tribute to: Knausgård, Karl Ove

Zywa Statistics

People have wishes, complaints
and sometimes they demand
Nothing is done about it, well
it is investigated

And then come bite-sized
the quotes with figures
and priorities and
getting started

What someone else needs to do
In collaboration with
The dirty work
(which almost no one votes for)

But you can count on me
I will always say exactly
what is wrong and who
are suffering the consequences

Poem 5976
Amsterdam, 2026-04-02
Having an opinion about something is becoming more important than doing something about it (Maxim Februari) - 2026
Column "Iets ergens van vinden wordt belangrijker dan ergens iets aan doen", in the NRC of April 1st, 2026
Collection: Half The Work
Tribute to: Februari, Maxim

Zywa Common

The program is there
but not the Party
for the Common Good

the party for people
who show solidarity, citizens
above consumers

the party for public services
and a social revenue model
the party for one another

and for closing
the loopholes in the law
where parasites thrive

and with lies, throw dust
in their own eyes and
everyone else's eyes

Poem 5970
Amsterdam, 2026-03-29
Collection: Half The Work

Zywa Ombuds Politics

Vote for me, I have a big one -
a long list, everyone wants to
take part when your vote wins
Choose me, then we are friends
and I will help you with favourable regulations

Between us, help me
with one thing, and I
will take great pains
that your complaint and your vote
are taken seriously

My consultation hours are in the street
and my office is in the café
to talk things through thoroughly
If anything is harrowing
I will arrange a film crew

with a gift for following
our advice and wishes
We must think big
show big and make a big noise
that we are the majority

Poem 5967
Amsterdam, 2026-03-25
Collection: Half The Work

Zywa MAGA

They gave us small thanks
for our pains, so now they'll get --
nothing anymore!

Europe, Asia:
too old, too crowded. It's time --
to take action now!

The bomb can do it:
create space and peace, and a --
little more respect

Australia can
remain, for the kangaroos --
and our holidays

Poem 5949
Amsterdam, 2026-03-08
Political Science (Randy Newman) - 1972
Four 5-7-5-verses about 'MAGA' (Make America Great Again)
Song "Political Science", album "Sail Away"
Collection: Human excess
Tribute to: Newman, Randy

A person who thinks

is by definition too --

disobedient.



Iemand die nadenkt	Einer, der denkt, ist
is per definitie niet --	per Definition nicht --

gehoorzaam genoeg.	gehorsam genug.

Poem S3091
Amsterdam, 2026-02-27
The targeted imprisonment and murder of journalists, teachers, students, scientists, artists, doctors and aid workers, since the 'Executed Renaissance' in Ukraine (in 1933, under Stalin), later the 'Cultural Revolution' (from 1966, under Mao), now again in Ukraine (since 2014, under Putin), and in Turkey (since 2013, under Erdogan)
Collection: Human excess

Zywa Quicksand

What life was like back then
in the twenty-first century
will likely remain a mystery

The sources are quicksand:
unclear, contradictory, and
psychologically inexplicable

Most of it was lost
due to budget cuts, thoughtlessly
or because it seemed superfluous

Some of it appears to have been destroyed
on purpose, and what remains is ego
tripping, propaganda, and entertainment

The alarming reports
from the beginning of the century
are serious, but the facts of the time

the decisions made
and the actual actions
are anyone's guess

Poem 5889
Amsterdam, 2026-02-14
The Secret Agent (Kleber Mendoça Filho) - 2025
Film "O Agente Secreto"
Collection: Blown sand
Tribute to: Mendoça Filho, Kleber

Zywa The Flock

Groups are always moving
They are not a dead weight
each member follows
with pulling and pushing
the heartbeat of the whole

regardless of the chirping
of the birds that fly ahead
but do not lead, that are
a frayed edge of the flock

When danger threatens
they veer away, and again
when it isn't over
Fleeing ever further
for refuge, they shit

the world white, black
every shade of brown
and don't know
what to do

The green withers
the branches break
the neighbours snatch
away the food and
the group falls apart

Poem 5880
Amsterdam, 2026-02-11
Collection: The drama

Zywa The flat world [Digital]

Culture is being flattened
People tolerate this powerlessly
and sometimes even applaud it

With common sense and education
they only half-understand the science
that suits their own agenda

Representatives trump each
other and make no decisions
outside their own fairytale world

where they can go anywhere
without moving a step, they pull
something out of the machine

and wish for the good old days
to play in - a false game
because it knows no end

Poem 5826
Amsterdam, 2026-01-14
In the Shadow of Tomorrow. A diagnosis of the spiritual suffering of our time (Johan Huizinga) - 1935
Chapters: II. Fears of the present and of before, XI. The cult of life, XVI. Puerilism
Collection: Changing Times
Tribute to: Huizinga, Johan

Zywa Soft protest

I watch it, the exercise
of the law of the strongest
and my silent protest

pains me, it makes
my heart cramp and
burdens my love with worry

Others take to the streets
but the new old, hardened
rules are armed

and do not break, that's why
I lie there massaging
and softening myself

The clouds nod slightly
In my mind, the wind lies down
and the birds hold their breath

You have to do it yourself
whispers Helping Hand
The air vibrates softly

with the words, yes, I must
remain soft, and make not the hard
but the soft stronger

Poem 5814
Amsterdam, 2026-01-10
Collection: The Yellow House Museum

I will jump away

from gravity, the power --

of his unfair play.



Ik wil wegspringen	Ich will wegspringen,
van de zwaartekracht, de macht --	weg von dem Schwerkraft, dem Macht --

van zijn valse spel.	seines falschen Spiels.

Poem H6019
Amsterdam, 2025-11-19
Defying Gravity (Stephen Schwartz) - 2003
Song (sung by Idina Menzel [Elphaba] and Kristin Chenoweth [Glinda], musical "Wicked")
Collection: May the Might
Tribute to: Schwartz, Stephen

Politicians are

people, unfortunately --

armoured in concepts.



Politici zijn	Politiker sind
mensen, helaas geharnast --	Menschen, leider gepanzert --

in opvattingen.	in Anschauungen.

Poem S3008
Amsterdam, 2025-11-17
Collection: May the Might

Snatching rivals in

sheep's clothing is supposed to --

be democratic?



Je concurrenten	Seine Rivale
verschalken in schaapskleren --	im Schafspelz erhaschen soll --

is democratisch?	demokratisch sein?

Poem S2993
Amsterdam, 2025-10-28
Grant me a language in which I can engage in genderless relationships with the world (Alara Adilow) - 2022
Poem "Schenk mij een taal waarin ik genderloze verhoudingen kan aangaan met de wereld", collection "Mythen en stoplichten" ("Myths and traffic lights")
Collection: May the Might
Tribute to: Adilow, Alara

The whole country is

burning, so put on wellies --

and put out the fire.



Het land staat in brand,	Das Land brennt, ziehe
trek hoge rubberlaarzen --	hohe Gummistiefel an --

aan en ga blussen.	lösche das Feuer.

Poem H5971
Amsterdam, 2025-10-11
You extinguish hostile fire with your rain boots on (Carolina Trujillo) - 2025
Article "Vijandig vuur doof je met regenlaarzen aan", in the NRC of October 11th, 2025 - Fight the rising fascism
Collection: High gear
Composer: Trujillo, Carolina

Let each other live,

forced integration turns out --

wrong for everyone.



Laat elkaar leven,	Jedem sein Leben,
gedwongen integratie --	forcierte Integration --

is voor niemand goed.	nützt doch niemandem.

Poem S2645
Amsterdam, 2025-04-18
Echoing histories (Sinan Çankaya) - 2025
In connection with the personal essay "Galmende geschiedenissen"
Live and let live
The mentality that minorities should adapt in cultural matters, as if integration comes down to that, is colonialist; the point of living together is living according to the rule of law, with respect for everyone's cultural customs
Collection: Truder
Tribute to: Çankaya, Sinan

Will it just be day,

do we turn towards the light --

and are we awake?



Wordt het gewoon dag,	Wird es einfach Tag,
draaien we naar het licht toe --	wenden wir uns dem Licht zu --

en zijn we wakker?	und sind wir schon wach?

Poem H5177
Amsterdam, 2025-01-19
From the seven days (Karlheinz Stockhausen) - 1968
Improvisation-composition "Aus den sieben Tagen" - 15 Textkompositionen für Intuitive Musik (15 text compositions for Intuitive Music), for ensemble; selection of 160 minutes, performed by Robin Rimbaud (electronics), Jakob Lekkerkerker (organ) and Gareth Davis (bass clarinet), Roland Dahinden (trombone), Dario Calderone (double bass), Pau Sola Masafrets (cello), Joao Brito (percussion), and Marketa Scaffartzek (voice) on January 19th, 2025 in the Organpark
Collection: org anp ARK
Composer: Stockhausen, Karlheinz

Everything turns wrong

tantalisingly slowly --

as if it goes well.



Alles gaat tergend	So quälend langsam
langzaam verkeerd, alsof er --	läuft alles schief, als wäre --

niets aan de hand is.	überhaupt nichts los.

Poem S2527
Amsterdam, 2025-01-19
From the seven days (Karlheinz Stockhausen) - 1968
Improvisation-composition "Aus den sieben Tagen" - 15 Textkompositionen für Intuitive Musik (15 text compositions for Intuitive Music), for ensemble; selection of 160 minutes, performed by Robin Rimbaud (electronics), Jakob Lekkerkerker (organ) and Gareth Davis (bass clarinet), Roland Dahinden (trombone), Dario Calderone (double bass), Pau Sola Masafrets (cello), Joao Brito (percussion), and Marketa Scaffartzek (voice) on January 19th, 2025 in the Organpark; this passage: cello and trombone
Collection: org anp ARK
Composer: Stockhausen, Karlheinz

This is politics:

take whatever you can get --

Who's surprised by that?



Dat is politiek:	Das ist Politik:
nemen wat je krijgen kunt --	man nimmt, was man kriegen kann --

Wie verbaast zich nog?	Wer wundert es noch?

Poem S2507
Amsterdam, 2025-01-15
Nothing surprises me anymore (Tiken Jah Fakoly) - 2004
Song "Plus rien ne m'étonne", album "Coup de gueule" ("Rant")
Collection: May the Might
Tribute to: Fakoly, Tiken Jah

The Great Despots of

our time play with God's Blessing --

with our precious globe.



Grote Despoten	Große Despoten
spelen met Gods zegen --	spielen mit Gottes Segen --

met de wereldbol.	mit unserer Welt.

Poem S2477
Amsterdam, 2024-12-15
The Great Dictator (Charles Chaplin)
The world as a plaything (Gemma Venhuizen) - 1940
Film "The Great Dictator" (1940, Charles Chaplin)
Column "De wereld als speelbal" ("The world as a plaything", 2024, Gemma Venhuizen), in the NRC of December 4th, 2024 - The leaders of the major countries ignore the climate catastrophe
Collection: May the Might
Tribute to: Chaplin, Charles; Venhuizen, Gemma

Tell me, what do they

know, the nationalists,

of their own country?



Ach, wat weten ze,	Ach, was wissen sie,
de nationalisten,	die Nationalisten,

van hun eigen land?	über unser Land?

Poem S2375
De Koog, 2024-09-21
Requiem for a friend (Han Voskuil) - 2002
Novel "Requiem voor een vriend", chapter 1965-1985, June 5th, 1974 - The Hague, concept of an article by Jan Bruggeman ('Breugelman')
Collection: Dirty hands
Tribute to: Voskuil, Han

A diplomat is

a mixture of ambition --

and self-mockery.



Diplomaten zijn	Diplomaten sind
ongrijpbaar, een mengsel van --	eine Mischung aus Ehrgeiz --

eerzucht en zelfspot.	und Selbstironie.

Poem H4922
De Koog, 2024-09-20
Requiem for a friend (Han Voskuil) - 2002
Novel "Requiem voor een vriend", chapter 1951-1956, March 7th, 1955 - Jan Bruggeman ('Breugelman')
Collection: Elude
Tribute to: Voskuil, Han

Politicians drift,

because The Majority --

doesn't know what they want.



De politici	Die Politiker
zwalken, want De Meerderheid --	treiben herum: Die Mehrheit --

wil steeds iets anders.	weiß nicht, was sie will.

Poem S2368
De Koog, 2024-09-20
Requiem for a friend (Han Voskuil) - 2002
Novel "Requiem voor een vriend", chapter 1951-1956, August 7th, 1954 - Amsterdam, Han Voskuil and Jan Bruggeman ('Breugelman')
Collection: Elude
Tribute to: Voskuil, Han

Politics doesn't bring

you anything, it's not art --

and it's not science.



Politiek levert	Die Politik bringt
je niets op, ze is geen kunst --	dir nichts, sie ist keine Kunst --

en geen wetenschap.	keine Wissenschaft.

Poem S2307
Amsterdam, 2024-08-12
The Three Arrows (Iris Murdoch) - 1972
Play, Act Two, scene Two
Collection: Dreams of love
Tribute to: Murdoch, Iris

Zywa Colliding mass

He has a public, shouted
himself upwards, pushed up
by the colliding mass

like a continental plate
creates a watershed
that is invisible

in the landscape, on the left
and right it is equally green
from the same rain

but the water nourishes
a different soil
flows in a different direction

into a different valley
a different river
a different sea

and only after long toil
will a future generation break
the mountain ridge in enough places

Poem 5539
Amsterdam, 2024-07-02
The election victories of conservative parties in Europe and the USA, such as the autocratic party of Geert Wilders in the Netherlands, whose Schoof cabinet is being installed today
Collection: PumicePieces

The pamphlets are blank,

that is their message, surely --

it's commonly known.



Blanco pamfletten,	Leere Flugzettel,
dat is hun boodschap, ja zo --	das ist ihre Botschaft, ja --

algemeen bekend.	allgemein bekannt.

Poem H4697
Amsterdam, 2024-06-13
Victory City (Salman Rushdie) - 2023
Novel "Victory City" [Vijayanagar >> Bisnaga, based on Fatehpur Sikri ('Victory City', near Agra), the capital of Emperor Abdul-Fath Jalaluddin 'Akbar' (= 'the Great' >> 'Akbar the Great')], part 2 Exile, chapter 11
Collection: Wind
Tribute to: Rushdie, Salman

The reformers make

the future correspond with --

the way it once was.



Hervormers laten	Für Reformer fällt
de toekomst samenvallen --	die Zukunft zusammen mit --

met hoe het ooit was.	wie es einmal war.

Poem S2222
Amsterdam, 2024-06-13
Victory City (Salman Rushdie) - 2023
Novel "Victory City" [Vijayanagar >> Bisnaga, based on Fatehpur Sikri ('Victory City', near Agra), the capital of Emperor Abdul-Fath Jalaluddin 'Akbar' (= 'the Great' >> 'Akbar the Great')], part 2 Exile, chapter 11
Collection: Wind
Tribute to: Rushdie, Salman

See what's happening:

citizens stomping around --

like real mastodons.



Zie wat er gebeurt:	Siehe, was passiert:
zie de burgers rondstampen --	die Bürger stampfen herum --

als mastodonten.	wie Mastodonten.

Poem H4638
Amsterdam, 2024-05-24
Quichotte (Salman Rushdie) - 2019
Sancho is overcome by a fantasy about a small town in New Jersey called Berenger
Populism, incitement to discontent
Novel, part 2, chapter 12
Play "Rhinocéros" ("Rhinoceros", 1959, Eugène Ionesco) about fascist conformism
Collection: Wind
Tribute to: Rushdie, Salman; Ionesco, Eugène

Zywa Father

At school and on the news
students inherit in stories
the lies and the willingness
to go to war

More is less is the law
of children asking
will be passed over
Father keeps them short

When they undertake something
he should have done himself
he beats them and
breaks it off

He throws crumbs
to the people in their holes
he appeases the hooligans
and critics are open targets

for the silent reproach
of the majority
that they defy father
and do not join

Poem 5512
Amsterdam, 2024-04-23
Djed Moros = (Grand)Father Frost / General Winter
Hobbit: from 'hol-bytla' = hole builder, like a rabbit, which is a fearful animal
Political-philosophical book "Against Democracy" (2016, Jason Brennan): democracies give room to 'Hooligans', who want to be the boss and against facts, hold on to their right, whereby the 'Rationals' ('Vulcans ', named after a race in the TV series 'Star Trek') get into a tight corner because most citizens are passive and superficial 'Hobbits'
"The Moor's Last Sigh" (1995, Salman Rushdie), chapter (4-) 19, about the mayor of Benengeli
Collection: PumicePieces

Waiving happiness

and suffering for the truth:

a better country.



Afzien van geluk	Auf Glück verzichten
en lijden voor de waarheid --	und leiden für die Wahrheit:

van een beter land.	ein besseres Land.

Poem H4587
Amsterdam, 2024-03-30
The Moor's Last Sigh (Salman Rushdie) - 1995
Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru
Novel, chapter "A house divided", (1-) 3
Collection: Sludge
Tribute to: Rushdie, Salman

Gee, where exactly

are the landmines that I placed --

the lies and the truths?



O jee, waar liggen	Oh je, wo liegen
de landmijnen, de leugens --	die Landminen, die Lügen --

en de waarheden?	und die Wahrheiten?

Poem H4553
Amsterdam, 2024-03-09
Vladiwostok! (P.F. Thomése) - 2007
Novel, part 3, chapter 28
Collection: May the Might
Tribute to: Thomése, Pieter Frans

Finding the greater

problem and proclaiming it --

thát is politics!



Het beste probleem	Das beste Problem
vinden en verkondigen --	auffinden und verkünden --

dát is politiek!	dás ist Politik!

Poem S2142
Amsterdam, 2024-03-06
Vladiwostok! (P.F. Thomése) - 2007
Novel, part 1, chapter 11
Collection: May the Might
Tribute to: Thomése, Pieter Frans

Politics revolves

around trying to control --

our powerlessness.



Politiek draait om	Die Politik dreht
het trachten te beheersen --	um die Kontrolle über --

van onze onmacht.	unsere Ohnmacht.

Poem H4550
Amsterdam, 2024-03-06
Vladiwostok! (P.F. Thomése) - 2007
Novel, part 1, chapter 9
Collection: May the Might
Tribute to: Thomése, Pieter Frans

Zywa At the top of language

Politicians are at the top
of language, salesperson
and lawyer in one they
compress the voters' words
with lobbyists and preachers
along the line, it's all

about bluff and the art
of getting stuck every now and then
so that a competitor has to come
and help and inconspicuously
pushed on previous promises
crashes, chokes on them

or at least tears
himself inside
on their blade
You too, Brutus?
It is a full moon
The people are cheering

Poem 5446
Amsterdam, 2024-03-05
Rhetoric, Lies, Doublespeak, Doubletalk/Forked tongue
Marcus Junius Brutus (85-42 BC)
Collection: PumicePieces

Zywa The flowers stink

Calimeros nick shit shit
on top of the living mountain
boom boom bombing bass
do not wipe their ass

get behind their masks
mish mash mocking heads
the right of their pose
pooh pooh poo haha

smother smile-screw-lala
protest and opposition
in fearing much more most
and flowers on the graves

Whinge and wine too bad oh yeah
of the bra-brave fools
who want to be martyrs
Come and see! Come and see!

They curse what is not black
and threaten oh sigh sigh
boastfully destruction
that no cartoon can contain

Poem 5437
Amsterdam, 2024-03-03
Oligarchs and drug lords
Collection: PumicePieces

People like to talk

about the required signposts --

but who is going?



Mensen praten graag	Die Leute reden
over de wegwijzers, maar --	gern über die Wegweiser --

wie gaat er op weg?	aber wer geht los?

Poem S2095
Amsterdam, 2024-01-12
No one follows the signposts anymore (Stine Jensen) - 2024
Column "Niemand volgt de richtingaanwijzers nog" (in the NRC, January 12^th, 2024)
"Pour une critique de léconomie politique du signe" and "Simulacres et Simulation" ("For a Critique of the Politicval Economy of the Sign", 1972, and "Simulacra & Simulation", 1981, Jean Baudrillard)
Collection: Actively Passive
Tribute to: Jensen, Stine; Baudrillard, Jean

Enforced unity,

doom for doom, and fear for fear --

of condemnation.



Eenheid afdwingen,	Einheit erzwingen,
doem om doem, en angst om angst --	Not um Not, und Angst um Angst --

voor veroordeling.	vor Verurteilung.

Poem S2053
Amsterdam, 2023-12-16
1610-1618 CE, in the Netherlands: [1] Controversy over the religious doctrine of predestination, [2] Persecution of democratic citizens such as Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and Hugo Grotius (such persecutions are taking place in more and more states today)
Collection: BloodTrunk

Zywa The beam scales

Judges weigh accomplished facts
   (against justice)
boards weigh costs and benefits
   (against set goals)
and representatives
   weigh desires and greed
   (against peace and prosperity)

They must work together
listen and talk things over
esteem no one less or more
than themselves

but chosen they are
a mirror of the voters
divided, and a partial
interest is easier

   (with distorted scales
     false weights and
     the stories that owners
     write behind the scenes
     to rationalise their theft)
to promote than a long-
term general interest

Poem 5342
Amsterdam, 2023-10-17
Collection: PumicePieces

Zywa Democracy of the back rope of unintended consequences

The vernacular calls
for control, no surprises
Customs and property protected
privileges defended: prosperity

It's a street race
of unintended consequences
Everyone spurts along
the back rope

It seemed to be good ideas
moving plants
channeling rain
taming animals into cattle

but one thing to another
there is no end to it
and we ourselves must
also be modified -

not humans anymore
but people, not standing
in the way of the people:
a true democracy

Poem 5337
Amsterdam, 2023-10-16
Unstoppable Us, Volume 2: Why the World Isn't Fair (Yuval Noah Harari and Ricard Zaplana Ruiz)
Book
Back rope: in contrast to the lead rope, which is the rope used to lead a team of oxen
Biotechnology: genetically modified organisms (GMO's)
Collection: On living on [2]

Elections again:

there are sealed ballot boxes --

preserved from last time.



Weer verkiezingen:	Wieder mal Wahlen:
verzegelde stembussen --	versiegelte Wahlurnen --

van vorige keer.	noch vom letzten Mal.

Poem S1909
Amsterdam, 2023-09-10
A Change of tongue (Antjie Krog) - 2003
Tale, part 3 § 7
Collection: May the Might
Tribute to: Krog, Antjie

Zywa Here... makes Borders

Here, on the fertile shores
of the crescent moon
we have a good life
We can make a start:

draw borders
build a state
recruit boys and train them
to be border guards

We pay them well
That attracts girls
There is money for extra
children

boys
who don't have to work
in the fields or in town
but can become soldiers

and girls
to care for them
and to serve them, at home
where their place is

within the boundaries
of their husband's state
who serves the country's state
his paternal home

under our leadership
the hard way of the state
in which the tasks are split up
No more equality

Poem 5271
Amsterdam, 2023-09-04
The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality (Angela Saini) - 2023
Study "The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality" / "The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule"
Collection: PumicePieces
Tribute to: Saini, Angela

Zywa Back from not having been away

At home on the couch
I crumple the edges
of the puke bag

The old times, the old songs
the excuses for the postponement
of the promised future

are back, back
from not having been away

We're still at home
in Old Man State, our
freedom was a dream

There are no more musicians
and no more beautiful
girls from Ukraine

The iron cold is back, back
from not having been away

Poem 5234
Amsterdam, 2023-06-09
While my guitar gently weeps (Paul McCartney, The Beatles) - 1968
Song (album "The Beatles" / "The White Album")
Collection: Lilith's Powers
Tribute to: McCartney, Paul; The Beatles

Zywa The deputy

With the proceeds, he bought the bank
the water company and computer halls
Modern Monopoly. He invested
in advanced filters and the internet

With a wink he kept his title
Landlord. Ah, the good old days
Now we are the owners, we pay
the subscriptions and pay off our debt

Things are going well, fewer members
are active, there is talk on the sidelines
and self-interested owners
collect proxies

The administrator acts
opportunistically and follows
the outside world
There is a call

for another system:
with so little involvement
a transfer of power will do -
blank until business is done

Poem 5227
Amsterdam, 2023-05-29
Democratic decision tot delegate executive, legislative, and judicial powers to one person of group of super-rich
Landlord / Corps noble (noble body), Corps social (social body) / Aristocracy, Oligarchy
Association of Homeowners / Corps législatif (legislative body) / Democracy
Delegate / Corps commun (communal body) / Populist totalitarianism (Ochlocracy)
Collection: The drama

Riots in cities,

discord in districts, treason --

in the palaces.



Oproer in steden,	Aufruhr in Städten,
tweedracht in het land, verraad --	Zwietracht im Land, und Verrat --

in de paleizen.	in den Palästen.

Poem S1765
Amsterdam, 2023-05-19
The Tragedie of King Lear (William Shakespeare) - 1606
Theatre play, 1^st act, 2^nd scene, the Earl of Gloucester:
"These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us. Though the wisdom of nature can reason it thus and thus, yet nature finds itself scourged by the sequent effects. Love cools, friendship falls off, brothers divide; in cities, mutinies; in countries, discord; in palaces, treason; and the bond cracked 'twixt son and father."
Collection: Rasping ants
Tribute to: Shakespeare, William

Zywa Pay for oppression

Not living for later
but together, social
and respected

The king loathes it
He takes palaces and farmsteads
His taxation breaks

the compliance, cold
causes hunger
Threat of war

Propaganda points the way:
there is a saviour, a Father
of the Nation, he protects

the refugees from Antwerp
and the trade, he will
drive out tyranny

that beheads dukes and puts
believers at the stake, that makes
the country pay for the oppression

Poem 5157
Amsterdam, 2023-05-04
Tiende Penning (Tenth Penny, 10% sales tax), introduced by Spain in 1571 in the Netherlands
Grindelwald fluctuation: coldest period of the Little Ice Age in Western Europe (AD 1560-1600)
Collection: Mosaic virus

Zywa Ice sheets

Groups of people attract leaders
give them power, and that power
attracts people

In new times, power melts
Supporters drop out, so
the level drops again

Thus the masses push and thrust
the waters of prosperity up and down
as if it were happening to them

Far away the sea moves with it
bringing drought or flood
and tormenting people until they unite

in a countervailing power, bringing their
well-being and downfall upon themselves
with all its consequences

Poem 5146
Amsterdam, 2023-05-02
Self-gravitation
Collection: Changing Times

Voting: politics

is means, not a power play --

It's about people.



Stemmen: politiek	Stimmen: Politik
is een middel, geen machtsspel --	ist ein Mittel, kein Machtspiel --

Het gaat om mensen.	Es geht um Menschen.

Poem H3731
Amsterdam, 2023-02-16
The Office - And melancholy, too (Han Voskuil) - 1999
Novel "Het Bureau - En ook weemoedigheid"
Page 112, Maarten Koning and Tjitske van den Akker speaking about the PSP (Pacifist Socialist Party, 1957-1991) - 1980
Collection: Frustration
Tribute to: Voskuil, Han

Again someone leads

a country to a new age --

called 'after the war'.



Opnieuw leidt iemand	Wieder führt jemand
een land naar een nieuwe tijd --	ein Land in neue Zeiten --

van na de oorlog.	'nach dem Krieg' genannt.

Poem S1643
Amsterdam, 2023-01-20
Collection: The Praised One

His proposal jumps

like a frog into the pond:

only a ripple.



Als een kikker springt.	Wie ein kleiner Frosch.
zijn voorstel in de vijver:	springt sein Vorschlag in den Teich:

slechts een rimpeling.	nur Kräuselungen.

Poem S1622
Amsterdam, 2022-12-31
The nest (Luigi Pirandello) - 1895
Short story "Il nido"
Collection: Actively Passive
Tribute to: Pirandello, Luigi

A department head

should protect the employees --

like an umbrella.



Een afdelingshoofd	Abteilungsleiter
beschermt de medewerkers --	schützen die Mitarbeiter --

als een paraplu.	wie ein Regenschirm.

Poem H3594
Amsterdam, 2022-12-02
The Office - Plankton (Han Voskuil) - 1997
Novel "Het Bureau - Plankton"
Page 538, Maarten Koning, Ad Muller and Bart Asjes (1974)
Collection: Dirty hands
Tribute to: Voskuil, Han

Left and right, voters

all are unfortunately --

against welfare cuts.



Links en rechts, alle	Links und rechts, alle
kiezers zijn helaas tegen --	Wähler sind leider gegen --

welvaartsverlaging.	den Wohlstandsabbau.

Poem S1587
Amsterdam, 2022-12-02
The Office - Plankton (Han Voskuil) - 1997
Novel "Het Bureau - Plankton"
Page 463, Maarten Koning and Klaas de Ruiter (1974)
Collection: Dirty hands
Tribute to: Voskuil, Han

I chose not to vote,

out of self-preservation --

clueless who would win.



Ik heb niet gestemd,	Ich hab nicht gewählt,
uit zelfbehoud, onwetend --	aus Selbstschutz, unwissend, wer --

wie er zou winnen.	gewinnen würde.

Poem H3588
Amsterdam, 2022-12-01
The Office - Plankton (Han Voskuil) - 1997
Novel "Het Bureau - Plankton"
Page 317, Maarten Koning, Anton Beerta, Bart Asjes, Freek Matser and Ad Muller (1973)
Collection: Dirty hands
Tribute to: Voskuil, Han

If you want something,

you have to get power first:

to change the rules first.



Wie iets wil, moet eerst	Wer etwas will, muss
macht krijgen: eerst de regels --	zuerst Macht gewinnen: erst --

gaan veranderen.	die Regeln ändern.

Poem S1577
Amsterdam, 2022-11-27
Collection: The Praised One

Only equal say

in the community rules --

is really freedom.



Inspraak van ieder	Nur die Mitsprache
in de gemeenschapsregels --	bei Regeln der Gemeinschaft --

is pas echt vrijheid.	ist wirklich Freiheit.

Poem H3545
Amsterdam, 2022-10-29
Collection: The drama

Crying out half-truths

will make you popular, as --

a wise oracle.



Halve waarheden	Halbwahrheiten zu
roepen maakt je populair --	rufen macht dich beliebt, als --

als wijs orakel.	weises Orakel.

Poem S1414
Amsterdam, 2022-06-01
From prehistoric oracles and soothsayers to political careers
Collection: The light of words

Zywa Five ponds, five nations

Peace got clothes to wear
that are called democracy
and are also worn by others

doppelgangers on the stage
of the power that they serve
as an extra or a puppet

It's an easy role
but in real life it is great
self-control and a matter

of patience to understand others
and to convince each other
of a public interest

This is how the Great Law
of Peace works along the Panther Lake
and the Sparkling Water

listening and consulting
without ventriloquism
or indelicate word

Poem 4503
Amsterdam, 2022-05-30
In the Mohawk area are the 'Five Ponds Wilderness' and the 'Black River Wild Forest'
The Iroquois are the league of the five tribes (nations) Mohawk, Oneida, Onanondaga, Cayuga and Seneca; this league is called Kaianerekowa = Great Law of Peace
In the council of the league of the Iroquois are speakers (sachem) those who bring the position of their group and try to convince the others to agree with it (the Aztecs named these speakers 'tlatoani', with Moctezuma as huey-tlatoami [supreme speaker]); it is honorable to be a speaker, but there is no power attached to it, so that the settlers wrongly treated the speakers as 'chief'
Lake Erie: Erielhonan = Long-tail/Panther
Lake Ontario: Ontario = Sparkling water
Collection: The drama

Our beloved king

must shine as if he is free --

in his golden cage.



Onze koning moet	Unser König muss
stralen alsof hij vrij is --	leuchten, als wäre er frei --

in zijn gouden kooi.	in dem Goldkäfig.

Poem S1404
Amsterdam, 2022-04-26
Interview with Rodaan Al Galidi - 2022
"The King of the Netherlands", interview in NRC, April 26^th, 2022, and the book "Leef, mens. Leef!" ("Man, live. Live!", 2022)
Collection: May the Might
Tribute to: Al Galidi, Rodaan

Zywa We just have to

Everything has its time
the princes and the tyrants
the noble and the rich elite
the rights of liberty
equality and brotherhood
the incitement of the people
and again the king
our hero, our champion

I just have to
to make the best of it
My life is too short
for active resistance
for a more ideal later
which can only reach
its time after years
of quiet growth

Until then we just have to
be patient and
be satisfied
with each other's fears
vices, ugly
and nice words
out of impotence
to take care of each other

Poem 4304
Amsterdam, 2022-02-08
Monarchy >> Tyranny >> Aristocracy >> Oligarchy >> Democracy >> Populism >> Monarchy >>
Collection: Greeting from before

People are party

to politics for the peace --

of self-interest.



Aan politiek doen	Die Menschen machen
mensen mee voor de vrede --	Politik für den Frieden --

van eigenbelang.	des Eigennutzes.

Poem H3193
Amsterdam, 2022-02-08
The rat of Amsterdam (Pieter Waterdrinker) - 2020
Novel "De rat van Amsterdam"
Collection: May the Might
Tribute to: Waterdrinker, Pieter

Ism's promise order.

Is their standard everything --

is for everyone?



Ismes beloven	Ismen versprechen
orde, met als maat alles --	Ordnung, mit als Maß alles --

is voor iedereen?	ist für alle da?

Poem H3156
Amsterdam, 2021-12-24
Collection: The Praised One

It is a symptom

of political failure:

waterbed-swinging.



Het is een symptoom	Es ist ein Symptom
van falende politiek:	der fehlenden Politik:

waterbed-deining.	Wasserbett-Wellen.

Poem S1290
Amsterdam, 2021-12-01
Society as free flow mattress
Collection: PumicePieces

Zywa Funnels of the year

The funnels are converted
into this year's mouths:
pink, violet and apple green
with some pale yellow in advance
for the fashion that will come

Controllers push all colours
- deaf for their protests -
through to the right
of the outside world
and the bosses

Sometimes it seems to make sense
but usually They dictate
new filters over the fickle-
ness of employees
citizens and tinsel

I myself like being orange
from which some pink is extracted
and a scrap of purple is exaggerated
for the rest I am not counted
in the statistics

Poem 4111
Amsterdam, 2021-11-10
Collection: Mosaic virus

Zywa The representative

The representative wants my wishes
to fulfill them if possible, but first
he will solve my problems

by adding rules
that pack everything tightly
until it is easy to handle

for clean hands
He cares for me, with an office
full of official love

and occasionally with decrees
from the big chair
until they are spent

and he has to balance
in height, speaking policy
with his head in the clouds

that cover up where it goes wrong
that cover up the emptiness of the sky
and keep the chair high

Poem 3817
Amsterdam, 2021-05-17
Collection: Half The Work

Zywa Midgard in endless

Mealy-mouthed, they drag you
away from your expectations
into the wilderness of hope

The white powder sticks to you
like a pale rash
of your flesh

the only hold
for your thoughts

in Midgard, the middle yard
of known regions, surrounded
by endless mountains
a jungle in the south
and the ocean in the west

where the serpent reigns, the monster
of which the mealy mouth speaks
to save you from its jaws
which would devour you
if you are afraid

Poem 2720
Amsterdam, 2020-02-22
Xenophobia
Collection: Webgarden

Politics: fighting

hard for sufficient freedom --

to enjoy your life.



Politiek is hard	Die Politik kämpft
strijden voor genoeg vrijheid --	hart für genügend Freiheit --

voor levensvreugde.	für Lebensfreude.

Poem S0983
Roermond, 2020-01-11
Collection: The Praised One

Zywa Recession Party

Don't look at the past
not at the statistics
that are meant to rise
and thus deepen the abyss
into which you do not dare to fall

Rather, turn around, step back
and live like old people
simply, without illusions
about what you need

Take so many steps back
that you have time again
to do nothing
As a rebel member
of the splinter party

choose a life without
stifling profits, choose
for public facilities, for
happiness now and in the future

Poem 2394
Amsterdam, 2019-08-19
Collection: Summer birds

Zywa ¡No pasarán!

1990: blemished
was our holy land
by half a million unbelievers
to teach the neighbours a lesson

2001: we wash ourselves
with the blood of fifteen
martyrs in the heavenly fire
high above their city

2019: it may never, ever
happen again, foreign soldiers
in our country, only their weapons
we want - here is the money

Again the bell rings
that nobody wants to hear
We are crossing our borders
and nobody can control us

Poem 2380
Amsterdam, 2019-07-30
More American soldiers in Saudi-Arabia (2019)
¡No pasarán! = "They shall not pass"
Collection: On living on [2]

Zywa The envoys of Athens

The envoys of Athens
in their comfortable carriages
democratically stripped of finery

are dignified by the inability
to make a decision, divided
by all the nuances of reason

They'll have to wait
because we don't have any news
from our informants yet

We sprinkle the goat
with lukewarm water, it does not shiver
so the god will not speak

until the stars are right again
and we are informed
about the politics of the monarchs

We save expenses nor pains
We are the dedicated priests
of a notable consulting business

Poem 2376
Amsterdam, 2019-07-28
The impotence of democracy
The priests of the Oracle of Delphi
Collection: Secrets & Believers

Zywa Heir

It burns in the south, the wind
is hungry, its tongues of fire
lick the wood of the earth and
eat themselves to rich countries

while behind our backs in the north
the ice is melting and milliliters of water
are cutting thin slices off our country
and our prosperity, like sharpened steel

Yet I will, yet I want, yet I must
maintain it, if I can, if they let me
these frightened blonde giants here
who count back generations

to the great taciturn man
Father of the Nation and beggar
my example and ancestor
(one percent of my genes)

which means nothing, but
his expensive coat of blue blood
does matter, and the blazing fire
that makes me think of his death

Poem 2332
Amsterdam, 2019-07-02
Christmas speech by King William-Alexander, successor of William the Taciturn, who was mocked as a gueux (beggar, "geus") and was assassinated in 1584
Heraldic motto "Je maintiendrai (Châlon)" = "I will maintain (Châlon)"
Collection: BloodTrunk
Tribute to: Willem-Alexander

Zywa Party with fairies

Election time: there they are
in beautiful dresses, the fairies
with their wands
aiming at my dreams

Sparkling stars
a beautiful world
is what they wish me
I get it as a gift

if I want, Say it
My vote
makes the difference
but the jester laughs

and dances around the shiny dresses
He points to the wands
they mostly point to each other
the rest is advertising paper

that wraps up the problems nicely
so be careful with wishes
they come true
the way you think:

half, and inconsistent
with a bill
for others
or for later

Poem 2278
Amsterdam, 2019-06-18
Collection: Blown sand

Bringing things to growth,

and then having to stop them --

with newly passed laws.



Iets tot groei brengen,	Zum Wachstum bringen,
en het dan moeten stoppen --	und dann neue Gesetze --

met nieuwe wetten.	um es zu stoppen.

Poem H2493
Vlissingen, 2019-06-06
Collection: Half The Work

Zywa Planned economy

Within the banks of the law
everything belongs to everyone
Duties are imposed
rights you have to take

I see myself small
from the high towers
where ministers wait in silence
for orders from above

The plans are ready
the dice roll
over the finely combed cloth
to Grand House or Southern Wind

The adjutant signs
the cautiously prepared move
of yet another new law
for people and country

Statistics are the weapons
They prove who fails
they prove the profit
for everyone

Poem 2237
Amsterdam, 2019-05-08
Collection: The drama

Zywa Vote for myself

I can do it because I think
that I can do better
then another, I better

not think about that
because the need is high
and the opinions are stuck

Filters take the light away
I have to laugh at them
until we are exposed again
to our common sense
and can start again
to enforce
a better world
on the people
who do not trust me

The others will follow
until everything will crash again
and the laughter silenced

will choose someone again
who says he can do better
what no one achieved yet

Poem 2147
Amsterdam, 2019-03-11
Collection: Half The Work

Zywa The stone raft

The sun sets in our beautiful
land of the sunset, let it go
wrong, the voters shout

let there be a power failure
let the earth be torn and the dogs
be barking, let the sea roar

They dive and turn
like a flock of starlings
There is a system in it

that is difficult to influence
by directors, like birdwatchers
they explain the omens

After the great quake, countries break
off and they sail away, their cape cuts
through the ocean: a proud rock titan

full of rabbits and settlers
who hole up behind angry words
because it is so complicated

They want a course of their own
they want a new sun
The women are pregnant

Poem 2030
Amsterdam, 2019-01-14
Brexit
"A jangada de pedra" (1986, José de Sousa Saramago)
"La balsa de piedra" (2002, George Sluizer)
Collection: Migration
Tribute to: Saramago, José dS ; Sluizer, George

Zywa Summer Rains

Once there was prosperity here
thriving trade, a ribbon
of harbours full of ships:
the land of the Philistines
Now suffocated, enclosed
by the ghetto

There are Summer Rains
breaking us, bones
roads and bridges
quays and offices, roofs
lie on the ground
next to open sewers, smell

where we live, don't stay
there, safe far away
on the ramparts of your paradise
watching the fire
and the iron from heaven
Not ours

And after the rains appear
at night on the horizon
Autumn Clouds

Poem 2026
Amsterdam, 2019-01-12
Palastu >> Pilistu >> 1. Philistines 2. Palestine
Gaza in 2006:
June - Operation Gishmey Kayitz (Summer Rains)
November - Operation Ananei Stav (Autumn Clouds)
Collection: The Praised One

Zywa Europe 2.1

Charles was the first
King of Spain
a Belgian

from the waterland
of Bruges and Ghent
Mechlin Leuven Brussels

the atria and the ventricles
the heart of Europe
2.1

Charles spoke French
German to his horse
and Italian with women

later also Spanish
to God and the Spaniards
but he preferred to be at home

in the middle of the stream
of the culture, the new
Blessed Empire

Poem 1905
Amsterdam, 2018-11-10
Europe 1: the Romans
Europe 2.0: Otto I and Charlemagne
Collection: Half The Work

Zywa Our beautiful life

Our beautiful life, preserved
against the cold that may return:

cans with beans, old newspapers
worn out clothes, jars of jam
up to the ceiling
the hard land, and the hard way
of the great leaders, and the little ones
who fought for their own advantage
the heroes of steel, later torn
from their home and from the books

But we are still there, in our musty house
we still share - a beautiful life

Poem 1571
Amsterdam, 2017-10-18
Love is potatoes (Aliona van der Horst) - 2017
Documentary film "Liefde is aardappelen"
Collection: The drama
Tribute to: Van Der Horst, Aliona

Zywa Noise

Empty the meeting room
The chairs lined up again
The screen in the corner still spouting
the latest news reports

I lie down on the round table
stretch myself out and surrender
to pleasure, caressed
laziness, oh, don't

think of your hands now
not of decisions taken
plans and action points and
not of the noise outside

the air rippling around
the boxing hustle
the profits bouncing
across cartwheels of hurry

the life of our excesses
of deeds, although I prefer them sometimes
to words, although I prefer them sometimes
because each life does count

Poem 1322
Amsterdam, 2017-05-01
Collection: The drama

Zywa The theatre

I departed for peace
and this hotel was my court
for four years

I prayed for wisdom, deposed
the popes, and had a stage been built
outside the walls

For science, which does not help
     to solve the problems, but
     complicates the world

For the learned rector from Prague
For a summer fire for the citizens
     and the women who lend themselves to us

because politics is theatre
in the halls and the churches of the city
on markets, in hotels and brothels

Just let the girls in our bed
laugh at our nakedness
and the game with crowns and sceptres

Just let the bells ring
on their jester's cap

Poem 1288
Amsterdam, 2017-04-22
Council of Constance (1414-1418) under the management of Sigismund
Johannes Hus, rector of the University of Prague, was condemned and burned on July 6th, 1415 in Constance
Sculpture "Imperia" (1993, Peter Lenk): prostitute Imperia wears a jester's cap, and holds two small naked men on her hands, one with a crown, the other with a tiara
Collection: The drama

Give the land away,

give it to those who stay, give --

everyone one vote.



Geef het uit handen,	Gib das Land her, gib
geef het land aan de blijvers --	es denen, die bleiben, gib --

geef ieder een stem.	jedem eine Stimme.

Poem H1668
Amsterdam, 2017-03-09
Unsolicited advice (Ester Naomi Perquin) - 2017
Poem "Ongevraagd advies" (in the nrc.next of March 9th, 2017)
Collection: Wean Di
Tribute to: Perquin, Ester Naomi

Zywa What are you still doing here?

People avoid me
I'm on a list
and get mail, at home
you are not safe
it says, what are you still
     doing here, do you
     need help packing?

I get a call:
Look outside
we are at your door

with enough boxes
Count your days and watch
your children, stupid quail
it is over
with wet-my-lips
     and it does not help
     to play dead
     Mau-mau, maybe
     God sends an angel
     of insight
     and compassion

Poem 1018
Amsterdam, 2017-02-14
The quail is said to be stupid, because it can be lured with a whistle
The sound of a male quail is like wet-my-lips, the sound of a female is like mau-mau
In case of danger, quails press to the ground, as if dead
Collection: BloodTrunk

Zywa Bacon and beans

There's nothing to eat in the kitchen
of Charles Frank Watchman
born here in this town

and deceased last winter
We polish the worktop
made from his gravestone

There is not a scratch on it
The coffin in which he lay
have we traded for

nothing, bacon and beans
Times are changing
but inequality is not

no matter how many marches
we walk to the Great Golden
White, Pink, or Blue House

Poem 921
Amsterdam, 2016-12-27
La Casona (Great House) in Caracas, Domus Aurea (Golden House) of Emperor Nero in Rome, White House in Washington DC, Bely Dom (White House) in Moscow and Bishkek, Casa Rosada (Pink House) in Buenos Aires, Cheong Wa Dae (Pavilion of Blue Tiles) in Seoul, and Plavi Dvorac (Blue Palace) in Cetinje
"Mijn zwagers in Venezuela bleken kilo's afgevallen" ("My brothers-in-law in Venezuela turned out to have lost kilos", September 5th, 2016, Koen Greven in NRC)
Collection: On living on [2]

Zywa New Romes

If not the facts do count
not even the people
but money and power

under the banner of freedom
equality or faith
weigh heavily in the pockets

of the senators
and treason is the reproach
to anyone who would

protest time after time
when is repeated
that Carthage must be destroyed

     then the wise words from the
     mouths of gifted speakers fail -
     and who then can be the leader

     of the democratic revolution?

Poem 918
Amsterdam, 2016-12-26
Marcus Cato "the Elder" (234-149): 'Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam' ('Moreover, I advise that Carthage must be destroyed')
Collection: On living on [2]

Zywa Heroes in heaven

Was it better in the past or only tomorrow?
It cannot be determined, everything changes
and the worlds of then and now only seem
similar to the fact that things are going well
to the turning point: too many people
for their way of life

Groups get in each other's way
They don't want to unite
and hold on to their heroes
who live forever because they did
the impossible and offer hope and comfort
in anxious days, alongside resentment

They indicate eternal enemies
for an everlasting war
to conquer a place in heaven
for everyone, yes we
common people are born
as divine children!

Poem 910
Amsterdam, 2016-12-21
Collection: The Praised One

The Moonpeopleman:

what a skylightningthunder-

weatherly madness!



De Maanvolkmens: wat	Der Mondvolkmensch: was
een hemelbliksemdonder-	für ein Himmelblitzdonner-

wederse waanzin!	Wetterscher Wahnsinn!

Poem S0445
Amsterdam, 2016-12-18
Tom Puss and The Moonhowlers (Marten Toonder) - 1967
Comic strip #118 - "Tom Poes en De Maanblaffers" (tiers 5970-6029 and 6031-6032), tier 5988
Collection: Puss & Lord
Tribute to: Toonder, Marten

The Great Superboss

funes the stock markets: a crash --

of bulk moneyballs.



De Baas Bovenbaas	Der Übermeister
funeert de beurzen: een krach --	funiert die Börsen: ein Krach --

van bulkballen geld.	von Großbällen Geld.

Poem S0425
Amsterdam, 2016-11-04
Sir Bumble and The Superbosses (Marten Toonder) - 1963
Comic strip #104 - "Heer Bommel en De Bovenbazen" (tiers 4955-5055), tier 4999
Stock market manipulation by United States President Trump on April 4th, 2025
Collection: Puss & Lord
Tribute to: Toonder, Marten

We may not be big,

but if we want, we will win --

one more Treasure fleet!



Al zijn we niet groot,	Wir sind klein, pass auf,
als we willen winnen we --	sonst gewinnen wir wieder --

weer een Zilvervloot!	die Silberflotte!

Poem H1056
Amsterdam, 2014-11-20
Treasure fleet (Jan Pieter Heije) - 1847
Song "Zilvervloot" (music Jan Viotta)
Collection: May the Might
Tribute to: Heije, Jan Pieter

Zywa Peaceful people

Because he was the strongest
the richest, the cruelest, the man
who could do it, he was king -
our royal body
the best protection
that we protected

We prospered well
our body became a giant
We wrote more and more laws -
in which self-interests diluted
as much as our feeling
to be a strong body

Yes, there are other bodies
sometimes opponents without respect
for us and our needs -
with an inflated body that is strong
and crushes many
peaceful people

There are laws against that
but only the ravages of time
will change something about it -
and until then we have to
put on an ugly face
knowing that we are different

Poem 4436
Amsterdam, 2012-04-04
Corps législatif: representation of the people, parliament
The embodiment of the people:
- Corps royal (royal body), monarchy >>
- Corps divin (divine body), theocracy / tyranny >>
- Corps noble (noble body), aristocracy >>
- Corps social (social body), socialist oligarchy >>
- Corps législatif (legislative body), democracy >>
- Corps commun (communal body), populist totalitarianism (communism, fascism)
Collection: The drama

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