This is the fifth and last part of poetry issues #24, built by another found poem and the dedicated collage work here today.

You can view the rest of the issue and read more about the poetry issues project here.

A combination of a poem ("Dead Reckoning") and a visual artwork ("Land") commissioned for the commemoration of the crossing of Atlantic by the Mayflower, carrying the Pilgrims (Saints) and other settlers (Strangers). The event is commemorated in the Netherlands, since the Pilgrims spent the last twelve years before the journey.

To handle this sensitive topic I decided to focus on the journey and the history of these people who were chased for their faith and who suffered hardships equal to the ones faced by modern day refugees. There is a common history for all the poor minorities of this world, and that is being chased by their oppressors.

The works were exhibited from October to December 2020 in a group exhibition in BpluC in Leiden.  

  You can read more about the poetry issues project here.

Poetry Issues #23 was published in May and June 2020 online in five parts and distributed in postcard format. Below you can read the issue as a whole and also take a look at the postcards. The next issue will follow in the fall.

 You can read more about the poetry issues project here.

This is the fifth and last part of poetry issues #23. This weeks poem is "May 1st" and the visual artwork is "Joy." When not describing flowers and sunsets, poetry can be quite tough, according to the subjects it's dealing with. Being positive requires the strength to look beyond harsh realities and to focus, if only momentarily, to the good parts of what makes us human. According to these finishing pieces, our good qualities stem from our need to connect with other humans and with nature and from the natural tendency to be happy, whether this state is achieved or not.

You can read pi#23 as a whole and see the accompanying printed postcards here.

You can find out more about the poetry issues project here.

This is Part 4 of poetry issues #23. The poem is "Stranglehold" and the visual artwork is "Over the Rainbow". "Stranglehold" was written a few weeks ago (while "Over the Rainbow" was created even earlier). I find it strange how it reverberates with the events that, when it was written, belonged to the future. A lot has been said about the prophetic character of poetry, but I don't think that this is the right quality to attach to it. I'd prefer to put it as "(also) dealing with the constants of life".

This Part is preceded by Parts 1, 2, and 3. The fifth and final part of the issue will follow next week.

You can find out more about the poetry issues project here.

"No, not Love" and "Fish and Hips" are the two pieces comprising Part 2 of poetry issues #23, with infatuation as their main theme.

You can also read Part 1, here. Stay tuned for Part 3, which will be released next Friday.

 You can find out more about the poetry issues project here.

The third poem of poetry issues #23 is called "Something to Wait for". The accompanying piece is "May 1st". Combined, they tell a tale of emotions in the age of commodity. 

You can also read Part 1 and Part 2 of the issue, released the previous 2 weeks.

You can find out more about the poetry issues project here.

Poetry issues #23, 1/5: When This is Over – Take it Slow

"When This is Over" is the first piece of poetry issues #23. Needless to say, it's a take on the corona experience. Its accompanying artwork is called "Take it Slow". Next Friday, the second piece of the issue will be published. Enjoy!

You can find out more about the poetry issues project here.

Unless you are a native Dutch you probably haven't heard of Lisse, although you might have heard of or at least seen pictures of Keukenhof – even though you can't pronounce it right – where the beauty of the tulips is celebrated in all its glory every year. However, Lisse doesn't rest on the fame of Keukenhof and the thousands of tourists surging to admire its flowers, but is actively promoting art and culture for its citizens to enjoy. In this context, every few years the town council appoints a "dorpsdichter", translated literally as "village poet". From 2016 to 2019, Alida van Leeuwen, a very active member of the Lisse community, a laugh psychologist and one of the most positive people I've ever met, was the dorpsdichter of Lisse. During this time she created a poetic collection, Dichter bij Kunst, that has just been published.

Usually I treat each poem as a unique entity but in this case I have to consider the book as a whole to give its contents justice. There are a number of things Alida manages to do in this collection and that need to be mentioned: First of all, she combines her work with the visual work of a number of artists, and the result is beautiful. Thus, we have a full-colored book full of images depicting mostly the natural scenery of the Netherlands but also the human being as part of and in connection to it. Secondly, Alida has collaborated with other poets to create some very unique pieces that stand out for their difference in tone, giving voice to others and letting show the power of co-creation. One of these poems is the result of our collaboration, a work combining two languages, namely Dutch and English.

When reading the poems one has to keep in mind the target group of this book, where it sprang from and what it's trying to honor. The work doesn't claim a position among the poetic masterpieces but its intention is to bring joy and reinforce the pride of the Lisse citizenry, and to be accessible to all. The book is brimming with local imagery, the beauty of the turning seasons and elements specific to the calm, rural life of Lisse. Nevertheless, Alida goes beyond this noble cause and encompasses social inquiry in her work, openly promoting the notions of tolerance, acceptance and inclusiveness – important ideas to propagate, especially when the grip of conservatism is tightening. To illustrate this major point, I will stand on the finishing lines of one admirable piece, celebrating the Polish flower workers in the fields of Lisse: "Houd onze dankbaarheid hen op de been? / Ik betwijfel het. Zij verdienen hun eigen vreugd". ("Does our gratitude keep them going? / I doubt it. They earn their joy themselves"). 

If you can read Dutch and would like to order the book, contact Alida at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..