Always the details

after my lectures, always --


only half-listened.


Altijd de detailsImmer die Details
na mijn lezingen, altijd --nach einem Vortrag, immer --

maar half geluisterd.nur halb zugehört.

Poem S3112
Amsterdam, 2026-03-25
The Chosen One (Wessel te Gussinklo) - 2024
Unfinished novel "De uitverkorene", chapter 3
Collection: High gear
Tribute to: Te Gussinklo, Wessel 
 

What are the answers

to the difficult questions --


I can ask myself?


Ik zoek een antwoordWas ist die Antwort
op weer zo'n moeilijke vraag --auf die schwierige Frage --

die ik mezelf stel.die ich mir stelle?

Poem H5628
Amsterdam, 2025-06-23
All or nothing, with a gun to my head (Stephan Sanders) - 2025
Column "Alles of niets, met pistool op de borst", in the NRC of June 23rd, 2025
Collection: Unseen
Tribute to: Sanders, Stephan 
 

The questions I ask

may reveal more about me --


than all my answers...


Mijn vragen latenEnthüllen meine
misschien wel meer van mij zien --Antworten mehr über mich --

dan mijn antwoorden...als meine Fragen?

Poem H5615
Amsterdam, 2025-06-18
In the Eye (Marijke Schermer) - 2024
Novel "In het oog", chapter 'In het oog, in het hart' ('In the eye, in the heart')
Collection: Glimpsed
Tribute to: Schermer, Marijke 
 

I'm only asking

the questions because you keep --


giving me answers.


Ik stel de vragenDie Fragen stelle
alleen maar omdat u mij --ich nur, weil Sie mir immer --

steeds antwoorden geeft.Antworten geben.

Poem H5098
Amsterdam, 2024-11-29
Tanglewreck (Jeanette Winterson) - 2006
Children's novel, chapter 19 The Einstein Line
Collection: Germ Substance
Tribute to: Winterson, Jeanette 
 

She asks questions, but

doesn't understand the answers --


Why? Pudding and pie!


Ze vraagt steeds, begrijptSie fragt und fragt nur,
de antwoorden niet. Waarom --Antworten versteht sie nicht --

zijn bananen krom?Warum? Um die Krumm!

Poem H4764
Amsterdam, 2024-07-12
Shame (Salman Rushdie) - 1983
Novel / Exposition with stories, part 4, chapter 10 The Woman in the Veil (burqa)
'Why? That's why!' / 'Why why why away you fly'

Collection: Shadows
Tribute to: Rushdie, Salman 
 

Daddy, can we leave?

Do you know what's for dinner?


Can I choose it, please?


Pap, wanneer gaan we?Papa, gehen wir?
Weet je al wat we eten?Weißt du schon, was wir essen?

Mag ik het kiezen?Kann ich es wählen?

Poem H4498
Amsterdam, 2024-02-05
Living with Lidewij (Bert Natter) - 2022
Biographical account "Leven met Lidewij"
Collection: On the fly
Tribute to: Natter, Bert 
 

People are questions,

asked to questions, and sometimes --


there are half answers.


Mensen zijn vragen,Menschen sind Fragen,
gesteld aan vragen, en soms --an Fragen gestellt, manchmal --

halve antwoorden.halbe Antworten.

Poem H3695
Amsterdam, 2023-01-31
Elegy about a dead labrador (Lars Gustafsson) - 1982
In reference to the closing sentence "Du var en fråga, riktad till en annan fråga bara, och ingendera hade den andras svar." ("You were a question, directed at another question only, and neither had the other's answer.") of the poem "Elegi över en död labrador": man and dog are questions to one another
Collection "Världens tystnad före Bach"

Collection: Specialities
Tribute to: Gustafsson, Lars 
 

So it happened there,

by the old castle-tower --


How old is it then?


Het gebeurde dusDa ist es also
daar, bij de oude toren --passiert, dort, beim alten Turm --

Hoe oud is die dan?Wie alt ist er denn?

Poem S1442
Amsterdam, 2022-06-30
The tower (Luc Huybrechts) - 2004
Poem "De toren" (collection "Linkeroever")
Collection: Over
Tribute to: Huybrechts, Luc 
 

Mama, what is death?

That is the end of one's life.


And life, what is life?


Mama, wat is dood?Mama, was ist tot?
Dat je ophoudt te leven.Dass du aufhörst zu leben.

En wat is leven?Und was ist leben?

Poem H2627
Amsterdam, 2019-11-17
Collection: I am
 

Looking up to me

for an answer, you find it --


with a question mark.


Naar mij opkijkendDu guckst mich an, fragst
voor een antwoord, vind jij het --nach Antwort, und findest sie --

met een vraagteken.mit Fragezeichen.

Poem H2413
Amsterdam, 2019-03-24
A Frisian does not cry (Gerrit Krol) - 1980
Novel "Een Fries huilt niet", chapter 10.1
Collection: Moist glow
Tribute to: Krol, Gerrit 
 

Zywa The asking animal

If only the little animal could
understand everything
no questions unanswered
when it dies

It does not live long enough
and flying is the time
of hundred wonderful times
of playing to die, the time

of asking again and again why
thus, this or that, and how
curiously cutting and pasting
knowledge, screaming

and throwing away angrily
lying down exhausted
and cry, but still
starting over once more

rearrange or discard
the half answers
and go looking
for new data

always ask another question
principally blind
full of confidence
that there will be an answer

Poem 2059
Amsterdam, 2019-01-26
Collection: I am
 

Zywa The apple

I do remember
windows, disappeared

somewhere in the invisible
building, outside

the half egg of space
that creates a weak light

in the darkness -
floating dust particles

and a flat floor field
of vibrating spots

in which, bitten, beside a cover
the apple of questioning shines:

what do I see
where am I

in what way is it developing
whither, wherefore, since when

why is this so
and who am I then?

Poem 1048
Amsterdam, 2017-02-20
Chaincurve II (David Dramm) - 2011
Composition, performed on November 12th, 2011 and November 3rd, 2013 in the Organpark
The 7 W's: Why/What to/for What/Wherefore (vision), Whither/Where to/What result (mission), Who, What, When, What way, Where

Collection: ORG anp ark 
Composer: Dramm, David 
 

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