To think properly,

you have to slow down, too fast --


the world rushes on.


Om na te denkenZum Nachdenken muss
moet je vertragen, te snel --man sich verzögern, zu schnell --
jaagt de wereld voort.rast die Welt weiter.

Poem H5995
Amsterdam, 2025-11-02
Thinking, that is going less fast (Arnold Marinissen) - 2025
Composition "Penser, c'est aller moins vite" (part 1 of "Kairé", with the text "Lettre à une élève" ["Letter to a student", 1934] from the essay "La condition ouvrière" ["The working class condition"] by Simone Weil), performed by Dorien Schouten (organ) en Agathe Labadie (voice) in the Organpark on November 1st, 2025
Collection: org anp ARK 
Tribute to: Weil, Simone 
Composer: Marinissen, Arnold 
 

That's a question! How

can I quickly find out what --


I think about that?


Daar vraag je me wat!Das ist mal eine
Hoe kom ik gauw te weten --Frage! Wie weiß ich schnell, was --
wat ik daarvan vind?ich davon halte?

Poem H5501
Amsterdam, 2025-05-24
With a photo of Madelief taken during a video call (September 28th, 2014, Grossdietwil)

Madelief

Collection: The climbing house
 

Will it start soon? Or

has it already started?


Is it war right now?


Begint het al gauw?Wird's bald beginnen?
Of is het al begonnen?Hat es bereits begonnen?
Is het al oorlog?Ist vielleicht schon Krieg?

Poem H5340
Amsterdam, 2025-03-24
Nightfather (Carl Friedman) - 1991
Novella "Tralievader" (translation 1994), chapter 'Greuelmärchen' (Atrocity story)
Collection: Thinkles Lusionless
Tribute to: Friedman, Carl 
 

The table top is

sticky, the handle too, I'll --


better wash my hands?


Het tafelblad plakt,Die Tisch ist klebrig,
en de klink ook al, ik moet --und der Griff auch, ich muss mir --
mijn handen wassen?die Hände waschen?

Poem H5307
Amsterdam, 2025-03-12
Sticky (Leander Vaes) - 2019
Poem "Het plakt", included in the collection "Poëziejongens" ("Poetry Boys") by Mustafa Kör
Collection: Here &Now&
Tribute to: Vaes, Leander 
 

I can't be meta.

myself, so impossible --


is: 'metaphysics'.


Ik kan niet metaIch kann nicht meta
mezelf zijn, onmogelijk:mir selbst sein, so unmöglich --
'metafysica'.ist: 'Metaphysik'.

Poem H5158
Amsterdam, 2025-01-07
Logical-Philosophical Treatise (Ludwig Wittgenstein) - 1922
Philosophical study "Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus", paragraphs 6.45, 6.5 (The riddle does not exist)
Philosophical study "Metaphysics as a guide to morals" (1992, Iris Murdoch), based on the 1982 Gifford Lectures given at the University of Edinburgh; chapter 3 Schopenhauer
Metaphysics is the philosophy of the beginning of all that exists

Collection: Longing and Loss
Tribute to: Murdoch, Iris; Wittgenstein, Ludwig 
 

I am a Thinker,

I don't rattle, but I search --


for real vibrations.


Ik ben een Denker,Ich bin ein Denker,
ik reutel niet, maar ik zoek --ich röchl nicht, ich such echte --
echte vibraties.Vibrationen.

Poem H3513
Amsterdam, 2022-10-21
#171 - Sir Bumble and the antiliar (Marten Toonder) - 1982
Comic strip Heer Bommel en de antiloog (tiers 01145-01238), tier 01150
Collection: Puss & Lord
Tribute to: Toonder, Marten 
 

Listen to yourself

if you want to be able --


to speak and converse.


Luister naar jezelfHöre dich selbst zu
als je graag in staat wilt zijn --wenn du fähig sein möchtest --
tot een goed gesprek.zu einem Gespräch.

Poem S1013
Amsterdam, 2020-05-09
Crusoe's Daughter (Jane Gardam) - 1985
Novel
Polly Flint is thinking about Robinson Crusoe

Collection: Specialities
Tribute to: Gardam, Jane 
 

Zywa Listen to the love

Fortunately, she is still there
the enthusiastic girl
in me, she would like to

play with her sister
who lacked so much
and still does feel it

and still is trying
to catch up with it, it's not easy

to help her
listen to the love

of my adult mind
She wants a father like fathers
should be, a dad, close

in her head, in my head
to protect her and
to be her example

Poem 1836
Amsterdam, 2018-08-13
Collection: Lilith's Powers
 

Thinkers just follow

the path of their thoughts, curious --


where they will arrive.


Een denker volgt slechtsEin Denker folgt nur
de weg van zijn gedachten --dem Weg seiner Gedanken --
benieuwd waar hij komt.gespannt wo er kommt.

Poem H2257
Amsterdam, 2018-08-01
Collection: The light of words
 

I often drown, in

the sea that always saves me --


the sea of my thoughts.


Ik verdrink vaak, inIch ertrinke in
de zee die mij redt, de zee --dem Meer, das mich rettet, dem --
van mijn gedachten.Meer der Gedanken.

Poem H2239
Amsterdam, 2018-06-27
My thoughts are a sea (Toon Tellegen) - 1991
Poem "Mijn gedachten zijn een zee" (collection "Een langzame val")
Collection: Perhaps / Some day / Occasionally / Almost
Tribute to: Tellegen, Toon 
 

To want what you do,

to do what you want: I think --


That's the life I want.


Willen wat je doet,Wollen was man tut,
doen wat je wilt: ik denk na --tun was man will: ich denke --
Dat is wat ik wil.Das ist was ich will.

Poem H1725
Amsterdam, 2017-07-01
Within the skin (Han Voskuil) - 2009
Autobiographical novel "Binnen de huid" - November 1954, Amsterdam
Collection: Dirty hands
Tribute to: Voskuil, Han 
 

Zywa Big Grasper

I get food, if
I make myself big enough
otherwise I only figure
in the statistics of the problem

There's a light on in the office
that is never open
it echoes behind the door
which does not give way under my fists

It can't be an office
too hollow for compassion
a dead body
with a bulging eye

and I am the nobody
who cannot escape
A journalist runs by
doesn't ask for the plan

What is, what can be
what must be behind it?
Nobody picks it up
with a Big Grasper

Is that me?

Poem 1294
Amsterdam, 2017-04-23
Collection: On living on [2]
 

You don't have deep thoughts,

that's why you sometimes look out --


a little better.


Diepe gedachtenTiefe Gedanken
heb jij niet, daardoor kijk je --hast du nicht, deshalb schaust du --
soms iets beter uit.manchmal besser aus.

Poem S0462
Amsterdam, 2017-01-19
Sir Bumble stops Progress (Marten Toonder) - 1948
Comic strip #32 - "Heer Bommel stuit De vooruitgang" (tiers 444-494), tier 461
Collection: Puss & Lord
Tribute to: Toonder, Marten 
 

The professor asks

questions and lets them ripen --


till the brain harvest.


De professor steltDer Professor stellt
vragen en laat ze rijpen --Fragen und lässt sie reifen --
tot de breinpluktijd.bis zur Hirnlese.

Poem H1603
Amsterdam, 2016-11-25
Sir Bumble and The Vanishing Point (Marten Toonder) - 1972
Comic strip #140 - Heer Bommel en Het Verdwijnpunt (tiers 7501-7567), tier 7544
Collection: Puss & Lord
Tribute to: Toonder, Marten 
 

A deep thinker goes

far, he can't help to get lost --


in space and in time.


Een diepe denkerEin tiefer Denker
gaat ver, hij raakt verloren --geht weit, er ist verloren --
in ruimte en tijd.in Raum und in Zeit.

Poem H1589
Amsterdam, 2016-11-07
#90 - Tom Puss and The Bumble Legend (Marten Toonder) - 1960
Comic strip #90 - Tom Poes en De Bommellegende (tiers 4047-4112)
Collection: Puss & Lord
Tribute to: Toonder, Marten 
 

It's the road before

the bend, and right there it is --


still a bendless road.


De weg voor de bochtVor der Kurve ist
is dit, voor de bocht is het --die Straße eine Straße --
een weg zonder bocht.die kurvenlos ist.

Poem H1136
Amsterdam, 2015-05-04
Beyond the turn in the road (Alberto Caeiro) - 1914
Poem "Para além da curva da estrada" (Fernando Pessoa)
Collection: SoulSenseSun
Tribute to: Caeiro, Alberto; Pessoa, Fernando 
 

In the morning wind

my thoughts are tinkling clearly --


like a carillon.


In de ochtendwindFrühmorgens im Wind
tinkelen mijn gedachten --klingeln meine Gedanken --
als een carillon.wie ein Glockenspiel.

Poem H0807
Amsterdam, 2014-02-25
Carillon (M. Vasalis) - 1954
Poem from the collection "Vergezichten en gezichten"
Collection: Thinkles Lusionless
Tribute to: Vasalis, M. 
 

The sun sets faster,

so the days become shorter --


More time for the moon.


Nu de zon snel zakt,Die Sonne geht schnell
worden de dagen korter --unter: kürzere Tage --
Meer tijd voor de maan.Mehr Zeit für den Mond.

Poem H0570
Amsterdam, 2013-09-23
Collection: Moons
 

Ibises
are wise and sensible
Ibises
I too behave sensibly

I help others to think:
I explain by asking questions
I ask for arguments
I ask for counter-arguments
n396
Grutto
 

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