Brotherly love has a knife
in its hand, sometimes it stabs
others, more often it stabs you
with disappointment, with
angrily walking away and leaving
you in emptiness, searching
in vain for traces
you've long since
trampled on
So I must wait
Wait to see if you will
ever turn to me again
After postponement after
postponement, I dare
to mail a letter to you
full of helplessness
to bridge the distance
without your response
Dec 23, 2025
Dec 23, 2025 at 3:44 AM UTC
Brotherly love has a knife
in its hand, sometimes it stabs
others, more often it stabs you
with disappointment, with
angrily walking away and leaving
you in emptiness, searching
in vain for traces
you've long since
trampled on
So I must wait
Wait to see if you will
ever turn to me again
After postponement after
postponement, I dare
to mail a letter to you
full of helplessness
to bridge the distance
without your response
Italian proverb: 'Amore di fratello, amore col coltello' (Brotherly love, love with a knife), mentioned in the autobiography "In den vreemde - Kronieken" (2024, Frida Vogels, chapter 'Kees en ik' - March 11th, 1983, Bologna)
Four poems by Frida Vogels:
September 7th, 1964 - I rarely can get out and look for you
September 8th, 1964 - While you're wandering around defenceless somewhere
June 22nd, 1965 - I can't write like I speak
January 11th, 1966 - The horrors of that day
Collection "Trench Walking: Self-portraits"
