Nieuwegracht

In the silence of the evening

the lanterns reap the harvest

of the ages together

their whispering light

swirls around the trees

where summer is at its height

in the walls

live echoes

of the past

which I hear only now

the coaches rattle

over the cobblestones

kitchen maids, ladies maids

wait upon

sir and madam

the subculture of manor houses

…and in the dining room

they dine off the best china

Nieuwegracht

I hear the echos

still reflecting

from your walls

while I wait

for silence

Oeke Kruythof

Jenny Narraway translation/transcreation