Nieuwendijk
door Peter Schrijnders
Corona, that’s us
From the start of the lockdown I kept a diary in words and pictures, trying to catch this surreal time and get a little grip on the new situation. Although the occasion is unfortunate; my love for the city is greater than ever.
As a street photographer, Amsterdam has always been my backdrop, but now I look at the city with new eyes, the space also creates space in my head.
I hope that the poems may also be able to offer others a new perspective – or be comforting in their recognizability.
2 April 2020
DALI
everything slowly becomes shapeless
like Dalí the world
has rearranged
even the clock has melted
Is the day over already?
6 April 2020
THE NEED FOR PHYSICALITY
he talked about the need
of corporeality
the essentiality
dermal to dermal
a ruthless portrait
of a needy body
trapped inside
hungry for touch
disinfected hands
frantically searching for proximity
receding bodies
disappear into the new age
the body as a danger
bumping into a wall of disgust
the question arises more and more
Is this the virus, or does my appearance hurt?
27 April 2020
KING DAY
flags for the king
the masts as static guests
on another virtual feast
an orange figure
Expressing himself as a stray dog
in search of food for the soul
we miss the beer in the pub
says a voice on TV
Western civilization contained in one sentence
outside it is warm
I think of burning peat soil
and infected minks in small pens
the king speaks to the nation:
cherish the sense of community
in times of removal
toast the country to comfort
flushing reality away
in a sea of alcohol
collectively ground to a halt
I feel more like an individual than ever
in a churning cold sea
Are you coming to the party?
bring your trunks
you won’t be brought home
by Randy Fokke
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