Syds Wiersma

Wherever you’re too far, I travel to the Wadden,
the city which would rather drift off to an island.
Deeply I breathe the brown fleet, the comfort
of crusty names: Antonia, Minerva, Ursa Major.

But Aagtje is the most fragile, asks me
to forget. The week starts slowly on
Monday mornings, a cigarette, the fog
from underneath every sail felt in every touch.

So, this is your world, in blue overalls
you cross worn decks amidst these women,
patch up on wood and steel the reflection
of the water on the leeboards.

I let you, beat my thirst in wonky creeks around
your ship, drink my bitter behind lock doors.

one time she said
a heavy lid lies over it
I leave it there
otherwise I don’t know what
might release

nonetheless every year
she gave me
an amaryllis
in a plastic pot
the hard little beak-snout
on the verge of breaking out

I saw the marvel coming
a sword from the sheath
of the deeper forces

the eyes that had to endure everything
were blooming
sore read

I am not a survivor of
I can be calmly at my most open

walk along the well
read the baal shem tov

god is there where you let him in

and leave the door ajar

one time she said
as long as I feel nothing
I’m feeling well

There’ll come a day I’ll break free
from this body, not to fall back
as a mad cat
into the night
but to stay at the old
temple of the soul

my pale skin
don’t worry my love
I’m not gone
I’ll keep you company
death is only a causeway
just a question
of leaning on the gate
and gazing out over the fields.

Today I wanted to write a furious verse
to mould poetry like a doom stooge
from the demise of all the universe.
I should probably pray for a deluge.

Like a knackered father the land leads
me over concrete lanes to factory farms.
Do I care? Ditches overgrown by reeds
and willows creeping up the dry banks.

Yet, I sing the praises of the polder.
I’m enriched by my twilight walks
this is my home, even with the blur
of busybodies with all their money talks.

A balmy ground warms up some horses’ backs.
I steal luck, like all the other kleptomaniacs.