The Poet of the Month July is Kate Schlingemann.
You can read the Frisian poems on RIXT.
Poet of the Month June
Oardelskonkedei on May 15th
The Oardelskonkje is a new poetry form which has been created not long agi by poet Syds Wiersma, who drew the comparison that we are travellers on one and a half (oardel) leg (skonk). The verse has “one and a half leg/ oardel skonk” with two stanzas; the first with ten words, the second with five. The poet is free in all other aspects of the Oardelskonkje.
In late April RIXT invited everyone to work, play and write poetry with this new form. People did so and the resulting poems can be read in Frisian on RIXT’s first Day of the Oardelskonkjes. The twelve published Oardelskonkjes come from poets Elmar Kuiper, Gerrit de Vries, Carla van der Zwaag, Yva Hokwerda, Elly de Leeuw, Inne Bilker, Simen de Jong, Henk Veenstra, Ytsje Hettinga, Dirk Geerdink, Anne Heegstra en Ypie Bakker.
Poet Bartle Laverman passed away
Poet of the Month May
The Poet of the Month May is Jan Kooistra.
You can read the Frisian poems on RIXT.
The Oardelskonkje: a new poetry form in times of crisis.
As travelling is ruled out for the coming time, we’ve all become travellers who have to find their feet in the new situation. Syds Wiersma thought that we do not stand on two feet on the ground anymore, but rather one and a half, and so the new poetry form devell ped: the one and a half leg, or in Frisian, the Oardelskonkje.
If it not were for the corona crisis, Wiersma would be in Ireland to finish writing his poetry volume now. “We’ve all become travellers on one and a half leg” he says. Today, on April 30th, RIXT has published the explanation and first Oardelskonkjes by Syds Wiersma. You can find it here (in Frisian).
The Oardelskonkje is a crisis variant on the haiku. It has fifteen words, divided in two stanzas. The first stanza has ten words, the second five. Numerically and visually, it is oardel (one and a half) skonk (leg). The form is free for the poet, allthough a chute in between the stanzas works best according to Wiersma. Several Oardelskonkjes can form a thread, just like haikus.
We invite everyone to explore this new form and send in Oardelskonkjes. The editorial board will select Oardelskonkjes for publication on May 15th, which has been proclaimed Day of the Oardelskonkje.
Poetry for residents of care homes
More than 5000 residents of 88 small and large scale care homes in Fryslân have received poetry cards today.
It is an act of Leeuwarden/Ljouwert UNESCO City of Literature in collaboration with Poetry Pack RIXT, and was set up in light of the difficult situation which affects residents of care homes considerably. Ernst Bruinsma, corporate leader of Ljouwert/Leeuwarden City of Literature:
“With this action we want to provide comfort and hope in these – especially for the elderly – difficult times.”
RIXT poets Jan Kleefstra, Syds Wiersma, Gerrit de Vries, Froukje Reitsema, Kate Schlingemann, Marije Roorda, Tsjisse Hettema, Martsje de Jong, and poet Baukje Wytsma have written six poems in Frisian, two in Dutch and one poem in Stellingwarfs.
In the framework of the project Frisian in Health Care (Afûk), Douwkje Douma has inventarised the interest of elderly homes in Fryslân. Every organisation showed interest: Kwadrantgroep, Hof en Hiem, Meriant, Patyna, Mienskipssintrum Leppehiem en Noorderbreedte.
The poetry cards are designed by BWH Ontwerpers from Ljouwert/Leeuwarden and are printed by Van der Eems in Easterein. The poems will be published on leeuwardencityofliterature.nl as well as on RIXT.
On the website friesindezorg.frl you can find information (in Dutch) on the importance of language in the well-being of people requiring care.
