Zywa Summertime

.. and the living is not easy
But you keep that hidden

The children are tired and whimper
They don't want to be disadvantaged

And you have to keep them obedient
And always be there for the men

In public, you have to beam
Then they are cheerful, warm, and gallant

You must not say anything that would
force your husband to take action

Sometimes you explode, screaming
you scare the children

with reproaches you wouldn't
have wanted to even think

That is how the days crumble
And you learn to live with it

Poem 6093
Amsterdam, 2026-07-22
The lost daughter (Elena Ferrante) - 2006
Novel "La figlia oscura" (translated in 2008)
The novel is set in Calabria (Southern Italy)

Collection: Pending rain
Tribute to: Ferrante, Elena 
 

The girls stand ready,

and together they practise --


modest behaviour.


De meisjes staan klaar,Die Mädchen warten,
tezamen oefenen ze --gemeinsam üben sie sich --

ingetogenheid.in Bescheidenheit.

Poem S2422
Amsterdam, 2024-10-19
the ground beneath her feet (Salman Rushdie) - 1999
Novel, chapter 9 Membrane
Collection: Sludge
Tribute to: Rushdie, Salman 
 

Mama's day passes

uncomplicated, she just --


follows dad's schedule.


Mama's dag verlooptMamas Tag vergeht
ongecompliceerd, zij volgt --unkompliziert, denn sie folgt --

papa's agenda.Papas Agenda.

Poem S2354
De Koog, 2024-09-16
Gut Symmetries (Jeanette Winterson) - 1997
Novel; Gut = Grand unified theory), chapter The Fool - Alice
Collection: Sludge
Tribute to: Winterson, Jeanette 
 

Men are the makers,

the world does belong to them --


thanks to the women.


Mannen zijn makers,Männer sind Macher,
de wereld behoort hun toe --ihnen gehört die Erde --

dankzij hun vrouwen.dank ihrer Frauen.

Poem H4797
Amsterdam, 2024-07-23
It's a man's man's man's world (Betty Jean Newsome) - 1966
Song (James Brown, lyrics Betty Jean Newsome)
Collection: Specialities
Tribute to: Brown, James; Newsome, Betty Jean 
 

You are a dreamer,

you're loved, but I want a man --


I can hold on to.


Jij bent een dromer,Du bist ein Träumer,
geliefd, maar ik wil een man --aber ich will einen Mann --

die mij houvast biedt.der mir ein Halt ist.

Poem H4208
Amsterdam, 2023-10-11
Just like Jack (Dayna Kurtz) - 2002
Song (album "Postcards from downtown")
Collection: Loves Tricks Gains Pains in the years 2000-2009
Tribute to: Kurtz, Dayna 
 

The perfect daughters,

who'll make their husbands happy:


ready to suffer.


Dochters die hun manTöchter, die ihre
gelukkig zullen maken:Männer beglücken werden:

klaar om te lijden.bereit zu leiden.

Poem S1699
Amsterdam, 2023-03-13
Chronicle of a Death Foretold (Gabriel García Márquez) - 1981
Novel "Crónica de una muerte anunciada", page 33
Collection: Dream flight
Tribute to: García Márquez, Gabriel 
 

Zywa Wedlocked

I hear myself, working
in the kitchen, cooking
shouldn't sound like that

There is a time for everything
but it is fixed
in daily routines

When it gets dark
I can breathe out, look
outside, look at the birds

On holidays I discover the world
through the eyes of the boys
who conquer rocks and rivers

The girls are princesses
They train themselves to be a queen
destined to complain about her fate

At home, they are my family
They plug their ears
when I'm cooking

Poem 3810
Amsterdam, 2021-05-12
Collection: The climbing house
 

Zywa The Cauldron

After school, the guests come
we receive them in nice clothes
- first, take a bath

then help the men in their room
changing their clothes
- we are strict

as a sweet mama
and show with a smile how to do it
- it's a game

of glee in our inn
where the birds are colourful and sing
- madam sets the tone

and my sisters teach me the tricks
of tempering and dreaming aloud
- the alluring

but I am decent, I sleep in my bed
every night without someone else
- until I marry

a man whom I don't give a chance
to tear up my heart
- not even a little bite

Poem 2515
Amsterdam, 2019-11-20
Collection: Froend
 

Zywa Priestess greeting bull

Stay where you are and wait
let the girls greet
the sky and kiss the earth
for there is peace in green

our temple of love, wherever
we prefer to be
in our eyes big and round
the whole world does fit. Look

I made myself beautiful for you
again, I swept colours of grass
on my shiny skin, rubbed
a blush on heels and knees

But wait until we receive you
look at us and enjoy
that we see you, who you are
your strength, and your desire

Poem 1481
Amsterdam, 2017-08-02
After a photo by Jan Keijzer
Collection: The Big Secret
Dedicated to: Jan K 
 

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