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August 2021

Ina Schroders-Zeeders was the RIXT poet of the month August 2021. You can read her original Frisian poems of that month here. The translation of one of them – ‘Brass hats’ – is published here.

Poem of the Month August 2021
Photo: Geart Tigchelaar
Autumn 2021


A rain falls, summer will soon end
Whoever’s fearful can feel the darkness
That will prevail in those months draw near.
The clammy news which frames the time
Spills from our screens into our lives.

We go to bed with blinkers on.
The compassion we’re so proud of during the day
Is engulfed by a black dreamless sleep.

Verbally exhausted, ignorant of the Taliban,
Covid and climate, until the rain
Betrays something of reality.
Summer will soon end but it was all for nothing.


© Ina Schroders-Zeeders
Translation: Trevor Scarse
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First edition of It Literêr Sirkwy poetry evenings on October 9 in cafe Marktzicht in Drachten

Frisian Poet Collective RIXT is bringing It Literêr Sirkwy (The Literary Circuit) back with a new series of literary evenings in 2021-2022. Poetry and music are the fixed ingredients, as is an open mike after the break. Saturday evening 9 October is the kick-off with the first Literary Circuit in café Marktzicht in Drachten.

The first evening will open with the various RIXT poets who participated in RIXT on the Ark at the end of July. Thus, the title of the evening: Ark in sight. In the Writers’ Ark on the Veenhoop, RIXT poets collaborated with poets Sigrid Kingma and Arjan Hut and musician Bruno Rummler. The poetry and music that they produced will be presented in café Marktzicht.

Before the break, there will be performances by the poets Arjan Hut, Sigrid Kingma, Edwin de Groot, Syds Wiersma, Carla van der Zwaag and Janna van der Meer. The last two poets will be accompanied by Bruno Rummler.

The evening will also pay tribute to the poetry of Tsjisse Hettema, who wanted to participate in RIXT on the Ark but passed away suddenly in the week before the project would take place. Hettema’s fourth collection of poems Hewwy dát will soon be published posthumously by the publisher Frysk en Frij. Poems from that volume will be read at Marktzicht.

After the break, there will be an open stage and Bruno Rummler will perform solo material. Anyone who wants to perform poetry (their own or by someone else) during the open mike stage is very welcome. Please register beforehand at: ynfo@rixt.frl. The evening in Drachten will be hosted by Edwin de Groot.

The Literary Circuit was first organised in 2005 and has been a steady stage for writers, poets and musicians for ten years. In those years it was an initiative of It Skriuwersboun. The baton has now been passed on to the poet collective RIXT and it will organise a number of literary evenings in various places in Fryslân. This new series is made possible by the Province of Fryslân.

Date: October 9, 2021
Place: Drachten, café Marktzicht, Aldewei 14
Time: 20.00 - 22.00 hours
Admission: free
Welcome to the afterparty too! 
Please take into account the applicable corona measures
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Line of Rixt

Today is the 134st birthday of the poet Rixt (Grou, 27 septimber 1887). To mark that occasion, we have asked our participating poets to write a poem based on the following line by Rixt:

de hiele wrâld draach ik op ien fingers-ein

This line comes from the poem ‘Yn ’t lêstoan’ from her collection De Gouden Rider (s. 51).

You can find the poems sent in to us, on our Frisian website.

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July 2021

André Looijenga was the RIXT poet of the  month July 2021. You can read his original Frisian poem here. You can read the English translation below.

Photo: Geart Tigchelaar

summer in fryslân

we’ll just have to imagine the barges
as the lake gathers rain in the wind
beneath hardstone skies

let the party tents be a mirage
as the sun flames up thirstily
above the stubble of grass

let us be reminded of the open-air
stage play of two years ago by the thrushes
that sing from the rooftops at dusk

let us replay the film from that time
every summer such a frisian summer

and sleep like all summers


© André Looijenga
Translation: Trevor Scarse
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May 2021

Edwin de Groot was the RIXT poet of the  month May 2021. You can read his original Frisian poems of that month here. The translation of one of them – ‘Tariff and exchange rate’ – is published here.

Photo: Edwin de Groot
 
 Tariff and exchange rate
  
 i.
 cholera, messenger of misery
 struck one down when so fated
 even a child that bit the dust
 there’s always some sin to be found
  
 a new foundation can simply break
 as it sets and now we’re due for the collection 
  
 ii.
 each covid month just as cruel
 today’s shepherd on slippery shoes
 says it’s safer than eating hot dogs
 a jab is child’s play, wards off ruin
  
 sprightly and elated once more on a school trip
 bringing tasty sandwiches with young cheese and confession



© Edwin de Groot
Translation: Trevor Scarse