Peter Vermaat was the RIXT poet of the month September 2020. You can read his original Dutch poem of that month – ‘Ode to the storyteller’ – here. The translation is published below.
Friday evening, 19th of September, SatelLiet was held in Aldebiltsyl. SatelLiet was set up last year as warm up for the Frisian/ minority songfestival LIET.SatelLiet was held at three locations: the Aerdenplaats, the Julian church next to it, and the Schuilschuur of villager Neeltje van den Brand
At Neetltje, RIXT poets Christa Niklewicz en Geart Tigchelaar perfomerd twice. They did so in company of musician and poet Lukas Graff. Tigchelaar read from his coming poetry volume, Ommers. Niklewicz read and sang poetry of hers. Graff accompanied both poets on his piano, and also read own poetry.
Christa Niklewicz with Lukas Graff – Photo: Geart Tigchelaar
Lukas Graff – Photo: Geart Tigchelaar
Geart Tigchelaar – Photo: Syds Wiersma
Hostess Neeltje van den Brand welcomes the audience and poets – Photo: Syds Wiersma
In the weekend of September 11 to 13, poets of Frisian poet pack and island poets met on the island Skylge/Terschelling, at the folk high school Skylgeralân.
Photo: Geart Tigchelaar
There, they met and formed groups of two or three to explore the island and their poetry together. During the exchange, the creativity and inspiration were endless, because of the good company and the beautiful surroundings.
The poets at the Folk High School. Photo: Geart TigchelaarNienke Zorgdrager, Dirk Geerdink and Tryntsje van der Veer on the island. Photo: Geart Tigchelaar
On Saturday evening, under a starry night in the amphitheatre de Rûnte, at the folk high school, the poets read their work made during the day. Poems were written collectively or indivually, but always inspired by the good company.
The poets performed in their respective groups.
The first to read were Ilse Vos, Jolanda Gooiker en Simon Oosting, with a relay of the day.
Ilse Vos, Simon Oosting and Jolanda Gooiker. Photo: Geart Tigchelaar
Nienke Zorgdrager, Tryntsje van der Veer, Dirk Geerdink. Photo: Geart Tigchelaar
Last but not least was the closure with “Skylge” made by poets Syds Wiersma, Ruud Knier, and Yva Hokwerda.
Ruud Knier, Yva Hokwerda. Photo: Geart Tigchelaar
On Sunday, it was time to leave the island again for the RIXT poets, though we hope to meet each other again, and poetry of the weekend will be published in due time.
From the 1st of August to the 7th, the Frisian Poets Pack RIXT convened at the Writer’s Ark of Rink van der Velde near the village of De Feanhoop. Every day a duo came here to work on a new verse for a collective poem.
The poet of the month, Cornelis van der Wal, had the honour of writing the first verse, and started the poem with the line ‘The lake doesn’t take the storm’ from the novel De nacht fan Belse madam by Rink van der Velde. This Line of Rink thus set the tone and direction for the poem and the week itself.
The regional broadcaster Omrop Fryslân called in every day to hear that day’s new verse. Thus, listeners of the afternoon radio programs ‘De middei fan Fryslân’, ‘Sneon yn Fryslân’ and ‘Snein yn Fryslân’ were able to follow the evolution of the poem. The week was capped off with a performance of the complete poem in the former haunt of Rink van der Velde – Café Marktzicht in Drachten – on the 8th of August.
The storm
The lake doesn’t take the storm
and you won’t answer me back.
Above the both of us drift
clouds that want to cry.
Underneath us the peat fire,
your eyes wander off.
I’m asking the reeds for guidance.
Thunder rumbles in the distance.
Perhaps I should take my leave of you.
Let the lake for what it is and might
a clean request hide in valleys far away
where thunder grumbles in another tongue
from the one I let myself be scared by.
Do I want to exorcise the fire
while it’s anchored within my being,
or does the heat crackle the stump in twain?
Do you still love me I asked you
your silence is the answer that unsettles my soul
the lightning forces a break line
and splits the lake clinically into chaos.
Sky fans out every which way.
I no longer want to run in circles
on still water like a pond skater
waiting for a wave from you
I leave everything behind. Cleansed
it’s clear to me. The lake doesn’t take the
storm but you should take me as I am.
If only you’d taken me. You termagant,
I push off our water soldiers. A damselfly
stirs the empyrean skin across the plunge.
The sound of the quant laughs. I’ve seen us.
I saw your eyes no longer asking,
I saw the lakes that won’t take.
Once more I write light from stillness,
know that I’ll drift with black swans.
Watch the video for the poem ‘The Storm’ and an insight of the week at the Ark.
Translation by Trevor Scarse
Video made by Geart Tigchelaar
Cornelis van der Wal was the RIXT poet of the month August 2020. You can read his original Frisian poems of that month here. The translation of one of them – ‘The ghost and the tree – is published below.
