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May 2024 · 333
[ Well, I think a lot ]
Zywa May 2024
Well, I think a lot

is wrong, very unhealthy --


they are: opinions.
Column "Niet vervelend" ("Not annoying", 2023, Ellen Deckwitz, in the NRC on June 15th, 2023)

Collection "Death on Cast"
May 2024 · 113
[ My key does not fit ]
Zywa May 2024
My key does not fit

in de front door of my house --


My previous home.
Column "Nieuwe weg" ("New way", 2023, Ellen Deckwitz, in the NRC on August 21st, 2023)

Collection "Death on Cast"
May 2024 · 270
[ That's how he has been ]
Zywa May 2024
That's how he has been:

that toddler, his little hands --


two little starfish.
Column "Niet verplegen" ("Not nursing", 2023, Ellen Deckwitz, in the NRC on August 31st, 2023)
May 2024 · 497
[ A silvery sky ]
Zywa May 2024
A silvery sky,

dark and quiet the mountains --


as if sound asleep.
Novella "Fuglene under himmelen" ("The birds under the sky", 2019, Karl Ove Knausgard)

Collection "Glimpsed"
May 2024 · 614
[ She's looking outside ]
Zywa May 2024
She's looking outside,

but still, does she see the view --


our beautiful view?
Novella "Fuglene under himmelen" ("The birds under the sky", 2019, Karl Ove Knausgard)

Collection "Glimpsed"
May 2024 · 188
[ Fragments of people ]
Zywa May 2024
Fragments of people,

with their words and their faces --


their shyness exposed.
Column "De kracht van enthousiasme" ("The power of enthusiasm", 2021, Joyce Roodnat, in the NRC of September 16th)

Collection "Glimpsed"
May 2024 · 302
[ Girls are looking so ]
Zywa May 2024
Girls are looking so

enigmatic, smiling, and --


in expectation.
Novel "De opdracht" ("The Mission", 1995, Wessel te Gussinklo), chapter (1-) 2

Collection "Glimpsed"
May 2024 · 434
[ This black hole in time ]
Zywa May 2024
This black hole in time,

the accident, will be filled --


with my memories.
Novel "Buiten is het maandag" ("Outside, it's Monday", 2003, J. Bernlef), chapter 6-4

Collection "Being my museum"
May 2024 · 354
[ It's our secret bed ]
Zywa May 2024
It's our secret bed,

there in the dark, where we live --


dreaming together.
Poem "Nagmaal" ("Communion" [sacrament], 1979 (2001), Breyten Breytenbach), written in prison

Collection "Within the walls"
May 2024 · 249
[ For sale on the fair ]
Zywa May 2024
For sale on the fair:

brain transplants to your liking --


Choose your memories.
Story "De achtbaan" ("The roller-coaster", 1953, Belcampo)

Collection "Being my own museum"
May 2024 · 229
[ I go out and look ]
Zywa May 2024
I go out and look

around my house as if it --


has to be cleared out.
Diary "De dood heeft mij een aanzoek gedaan - Over dood, leven en liefde" ("Death made me a proposal - About death, life, and love", 2010, Kristien Hemmerechts)

Collection "Being my own museum"
May 2024 · 397
[ At the junk dealer ]
Zywa May 2024
At the junk dealer

I write, of course, life stories --


of the furniture.
Novel "Buiten is het maandag" ("Outside, it's Monday", 2003, J. Bernlef), chapter 2-2

Collection "Being my own museum"
May 2024 · 222
[ A waste bag bulging ]
Zywa May 2024
A waste bag bulging

with plastic is cut open:


the seagull's stomach.
Poem "Skip Fûgel Lân" ("Ship Bird Land", 2019, Eeltsje Hettinga)

Collection "Being my own museum"
May 2024 · 386
[ I wrap myself up ]
Zywa May 2024
I wrap myself up

in my poem, to show me --


show my open wounds.
Poem "Schizophrenia" (2016, Ghayath Almadhoun)

Collection "Being my own museum"
May 2024 · 203
[ Home is: where you live ]
Zywa May 2024
Home is: where you live.

We are not from a country --


but from our childhood.
"On n'est pas d'un pays, on est de son enfance" ("We are not from a country, we are from our childhood", René Frégni, 2016, in the poetic short story collection "Je me souviens de tous vos rêves" ["I remember all your dreams"])

Film "Interdit aux chiens et aux Italiens" ("No Dogs or Italians Allowed", 2022, Alain Ughetto)

Collection "Being my own museum"
May 2024 · 598
[ How healthy are you ]
Zywa May 2024
How healthy are you

when you function very well --


in society?
"It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society", attributed to Jiddu Krishnamurti in "The Eden Express: A Memoir of Insanity" (1975, Mark Vonnegut), based on "Commentaries on Living - Series 3" (1960, Jiddu Krishnamurti), written in the 30s and 40s

Collection "Rasping ants"
May 2024 · 264
[ Headwind slows me down ]
Zywa May 2024
Headwind slows me down

more than I accelerate --


with that wind behind.
"verstandelijk gezichtsbedrog" ("mental delusion", 1959, Jan Hanlo), in magazine Rabarber #16

Collection "Rasping ants"
May 2024 · 489
[ Orange light at night ]
Zywa May 2024
Orange light at night,

the whole wide country whirring:


the gas field is on.
"60.000 uur - een autobiografie" ("60,000 hours - an autobiography", 1998, Gerrit Krol)

Collection "Rasping ants"
Zywa May 2024
The country: flare stacks,

from Loppersum to Tjuchem’s --


burning gates of hell.
Province of Groningen, the Netherlands

"60.000 uur - een autobiografie" ("60,000 hours - an autobiography", 1998, Gerrit Krol)

Collection "Rasping ants"
May 2024 · 532
[ I am so in love ]
Zywa May 2024
I am so in love

that I must confess to her:


I don't write poems.
Story "Dichtertje" ("Little poet", 1918, Nescio), written in 1917, chapter 2

Collection "Rasping ants"
May 2024 · 134
[ I cannot help it ]
Zywa May 2024
I cannot help it.

I hev limitid leeway.


I must bee handy.
Poem "Maraton" (1990, Cor Vaandrager)

Collection "Rasping ants"
May 2024 · 282
[ God greatly desires ]
Zywa May 2024
God greatly desires

peace, man gives him more and more --


to ponder about.
Story "Dichtertje" ("Little poet", 1918, Nescio), written in 1917, chapter 1

Collection "Rasping ants"
May 2024 · 327
[ The devil glances ]
Zywa May 2024
The devil glances

at the clock, eternity --


isn't coming along.
Story "Dichtertje" ("Little poet", 1918, Nescio), written in 1917, chapter 1

Collection "Rasping ants"
Apr 2024 · 428
[ On her bed she thinks ]
Zywa Apr 2024
On her bed she thinks

of budding love, so often --


you read about it.
Story "Dichtertje" ("Little poet", 1918, Nescio), written in 1917, chapter 6

Collection "Rasping ants"
Apr 2024 · 144
[ He looks at the clock ]
Zywa Apr 2024
He looks at the clock

and tells her something briefly --


A married couple.
Story "Dichtertje" ("Little poet", 1918, Nescio), written in 1917, chapter 3

Collection "Rasping ants"
Apr 2024 · 225
[ I'm at home, content ]
Zywa Apr 2024
I'm at home, content,

the tea-kettle is singing --


the rain is tapping.
Story "De uitvreter" ("The scrounger", 1911, Nescio), chapter 4

Collection "Rasping ants"
Apr 2024 · 218
[ Swerving to avoid ]
Zywa Apr 2024
Swerving to avoid

a puddle, I almost step --


into another.
Story "Dichtertje" ("Little poet", 1918, Nescio), written in 1917, chapter 11

Collection "Rasping ants"
Apr 2024 · 468
[ Croaking frogs at night ]
Zywa Apr 2024
Croaking frogs at night,

a horse running back and forth --


but you can't see it.
Story "Titaantjes" ("Teen Titans", 1915, Nescio), chapter 1

Collection "Rasping ants"
Zywa Apr 2024
Those days! We stayed up

at night and went to the sea --


to see the sunrise!
Story "Titaantjes" ("Teen Titans", 1915, Nescio), chapter 1

Collection "Rasping ants"
Apr 2024 · 1.6k
[ The sun is setting ]
Zywa Apr 2024
The sun is setting,

from the water there's darkness --


rising everywhere.
Story "Titaantjes" ("Teen Titans", 1915, Nescio), chapter 7

Collection "Rasping ants"
Apr 2024 · 272
[ The landscape forces ]
Zywa Apr 2024
The landscape forces

me to put it on canvas --


and then it won't work.
Story "Titaantjes" ("Teen Titans", 1915, Nescio), chapter 13

Collection "Rasping ants"
Apr 2024 · 164
[ Boys we were, nice boys ]
Zywa Apr 2024
Boys we were, nice boys,

gazing at the paving stones --


gazing at the stars.
Story "Titaantjes" ("Teen Titans", 1915, Nescio), chapter 1

Collection "Rasping ants"
Apr 2024 · 141
[ We were Teen Titans ]
Zywa Apr 2024
We were Teen Titans,

the five of us, we were going --


to change everything.
Story "Titaantjes" ("Teen Titans", 1915, Nescio), chapter 1

Collection "Rasping ants"
Apr 2024 · 327
[ Any overworld ]
Zywa Apr 2024
Any overworld

is a palimpsest over --


a scraped underworld.
Novel "The Moor's Last Sigh" (1995, Salman Rushdie), chapters Spices from Malabar, (2-) 11 and The Moor's Last Sigh, (4-) 19

Collection "Low gear"
Apr 2024 · 351
[ The birches are called ]
Zywa Apr 2024
The birches are called

silvery white, yeah, language --


can be very poor.
Story "Dichtertje" ("Little poet", 1918, Nescio), written in 1917, chapter 10

Collection "Rasping ants"
Apr 2024 · 406
[ Time is fluid, here ]
Zywa Apr 2024
Time is fluid, here

on the plane, we are floating --


in moments of now.
Novel "The Moor's Last Sigh" (1995, Salman Rushdie), chapter (4-) 19

Collection "Low gear"
Apr 2024 · 253
[ We were citizens ]
Zywa Apr 2024
We were citizens,

and suddenly our faith has --


become suspicious.
Novel "The Moor's Last Sigh" (1995, Salman Rushdie), chapters (2-) 13 and (3-) 18

State of Emergency in India 1975-1977, declared under Indira Gandhi; oppression of political opponents and non-Hindus

Collection "Low gear"
Apr 2024 · 246
[ Tall bite tales wander ]
Zywa Apr 2024
Tall bite tales wander

about and attach themselves --


to amputations.
Novel "The Moor's Last Sigh" (1995, Salman Rushdie), chapter (3-) 16

Collection "Low gear"
Apr 2024 · 477
[ Mass of supporters ]
Zywa Apr 2024
Mass of supporters

times corruption-degree squared --


makes a dynasty.
Novel "The Moor's Last Sigh" (1995, Salman Rushdie), chapter (2-) 15

Bharat's (India's) variation of E=mc2 (Energy = mass * lightspeed square) is: D=mc2 (Dynasty = mass-of-supporters * corruption square)

Collection "Low gear"
Apr 2024 · 147
[ I don't have a hold ]
Zywa Apr 2024
I don't have a hold,

with others, he never looks --


at me lovingly.
Novel "The Moor's Last Sigh" (1995, Salman Rushdie), chapter (4-) 20

Collection "Low gear"
Apr 2024 · 439
[ Philosophy does ]
Zywa Apr 2024
Philosophy does

not help you to become learned --


but to be virtuous.
Collection "Ta eis heauton" - 5:9 ("Things to one's self" / "Meditations", 161-180, Marcus Aurelius)

Collection "Known"
Apr 2024 · 290
[ Now we have to talk ]
Zywa Apr 2024
Now we have to talk,

of shoes, ships, piggy wings, and --


a nice appetite.
Having a good conversation with the oysters before you eat them

Poem "The Walrus and the Carpenter" in the children's book "Through the Looking-Glass", chapter 4 (1871, Lewis Carroll)

Collection "Here &Now&"
Zywa Apr 2024
The beach would be great

if it did not shine so much --


from the blazing sun.
Poem "The Walrus and the Carpenter" in the children's book "Through the Looking-Glass", chapter 4 (1871, Lewis Carroll)

Collection "Here &Now&"
Apr 2024 · 434
[ Teardrop diamonds ]
Zywa Apr 2024
Teardrop diamonds,

frozen on my eyelashes:


beautiful sadness.
Novel "Midnight's Children" (1981, Salman Rushdie), chapter 1-1 "The perforated sheet"

Collection "Low gear"
Apr 2024 · 475
[ I rule out myself ]
Zywa Apr 2024
I rule out myself

when reading, so I can hear --


what is being said.
Philological study "The Text of the Epistles. A Disquisition upon the Corpus Paulinum" (2007, Günther Zuntz) - "Lesen heißt mit fremden Kopfe denken" ("Reading is thinking with other people's minds"), cited in the philological study "Geschreven en toegeschreven" ("Scribed and Ascribed", 2013, Charles Vergeer), § 7.A: "Lezen is zich verdiepen in een tekst. Luisteren naar de toon en de stem van de tekst zoals we luisteren naar muziek." ("Reading is going into a text. Listening to the tone and voice of the text like we listen to music")

Collection "Glimpsed"
Apr 2024 · 437
[ We shout many views ]
Zywa Apr 2024
We shout many views,

are seldom examining --


our very standpoints.
Poem "(work in progress) 'n meerstemmige teks: pogings om die wit staar aan myself te verduidelik - poging 3" ("(work in progress) a part-text: attempts to explain the white stare to myself - attempt 3", 2022, Antjie Krog)

Collection "Unseen"
Apr 2024 · 129
[ Being bored deeply ]
Zywa Apr 2024
Being bored deeply

is a vague experience --


of all that exists.
"Die Langeweile offenbare das Seiende im Ganzen" ("Boredom reveals entities in the whole"), in: "Was ist Metaphysik?" ("What is metaphysics?", 1929, Martin Heidegger)

Collection "Unseen"
Apr 2024 · 354
[ A freethinker thinks]
Zywa Apr 2024
A freethinker thinks

about questions, the answers --


he doesn't want to hear.
Novel "Een tevreden lach" ("A happy smile", 1965, Andreas Burnier), chapter "The train" --- Collection "Unseen"
Apr 2024 · 313
[ The holiday guests]
Zywa Apr 2024
The holiday guests

stay away, I imagine --


a quite poor reason.
Novel "Buiten is het maandag" ("Outside, it's Monday", 2003, J. Bernlef), part 1, chapter 10 --- Collection "Unseen"
Apr 2024 · 1.4k
[ The evening twilight ]
Zywa Apr 2024
The evening twilight.

Tipping up, I see the white --


scuts of the rabbits.
Novel "Buiten is het maandag" ("Outside, it's Monday", 2003, J. Bernlef), part 6, chapter 2 --- Collection "SoulSenseSun"
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