Poetry, song lyrics, short stories
I started writing my own poetic song lyrics back in 1992, being a sixteen-year-old daydreamer. Since those early poetic experiments I have never actually stopped doing this. There must have been some periods though in which I wasn’t writing my thoughts down maybe, but they must have come out a bit later like an autumn storm on a blanc paper. Keepings my feelings and thoughts inside is not who I am. I feel a need to write things down and also share them. My texts usually reflect also what is happening in the world outside, besides my personal struggles or joys. With the years I learned to bundle these texts from certain life periods into booklets and to combine the words with pictures from my own photographic archive.
It’s still a dream of mine to find one day a publisher for my writings. But maybe that is an old school desire in a modern world with so many ways of self-publishing? Is being chosen by someone than so much more worth than kicking yourself in the but and doing it all on your own? I hope soon to start a first crowdfunding for one of my book ideas as I think this is the way to go and keep full control. Below you can read some examples from recent writings.
Forever is a long time
Long time no see
but you are a part of me
Way back in the days
When beds could be any place
And all of a sudden
we talked until we couldn’t
A brotherhood was born
Let’s blow the magic horn
The music was loud
But we were reaching out
To get tangled up in space
And redefine the human race
As long as it lasted
We laughed it was fantastic
Always with a smile
Even just for a little while
Warming our souls
with some rock and some roll
Memories of a past
that will forever last
And all of this buzz
to remind the rest of us
That life may be brief
but worth all the grief
Forever is a long time
Longer than this short rhyme
We’ll be missing you forever
Forgotten you’ll be never
Living with our relicts
In music we were addicts
Like partners in crime
Thank you for the great time
(text written for Johan Scheelen Brussels 2023 // picture Ghent 1999)
Love is a road
If life is a journey, then love is a road. A road that has bumps, that goes up and down and which has crossings with safe or less safe choices. A road to a safe place, with an eternal watermark, a blueprint that will never fade. A long lasting construction built by human feelings, by sweet words, by good deeds, by seductive poetry, by warming meals and good old laughter. By passion, intimacy, tender gifts and nostalgic celebrations. By believing that life make sense when you take care of each other. By touching each other gently. By sealing things with a kiss. By making up after a fight or discussion with a good bottle of red wine or a bouquet of colourful flowers.
And if love is a road, then your lover is your travel guide. Your Michelin, your Lonely Planet. Your GPS which will automatically correct you when you’re going too much off-road. The safe highway is easy but can also become a bit boring and predictable. And the other paths certainly take more time but might have nicer views and places to stop your vehicle for a rest or for breathtaking viewpoints.
Reaching the destination however is not the goal of life. Life is a journey. Life is a long winding path, a journey with many stops and many passengers along the way. So when you look for love in life, make sure you know what type of vehicle on which type of road you like or would like to drive on. By choosing the road you will find the right travel partners for the big journey that life is.
(text Cala Figuera Mallorca 2023 // picture Filitosa Corsica 2018)
The mountain in me
We came from far out of the deep Looking for something and some place to sleep
Looking for mountains
that reach to the sea
And also a fountain
and a nice melody
But there where the sky
meets the never-ending line
There lies a place
without the ever-ticking time
There I can be
totally free
There I can see
the mountain in me
We drove for hours
into the heat
Looking for someone
and something to eat
Looking for mountains
that reach to the sea
And also a fountain
and a nice melody
But there where the sky
meets the never-ending line
There lies a place
without the ever-ticking time
There I can be
totally free
There I can see
that there is a mountain in me
(text Brussels 2023 // picture Atlas Morocco 2012)
When the breeze comes
When the breeze comes the waves get high Dust and sand whirling in the sky When the breeze comes tall trees will bend And people unite to find shelter at a friend When the breeze comes the darkness sets in Birds will fly low and raindrops falling Some fires will burn Some fires will glow People come fast But people go slow But only those who can stand the heat will stay steady on their feet And only those who can stand the heat can rock 'n' roll to the heartbeat (text Brussels 2023 // picture Picardie France 2017)
The day snow fell from hell
Early one morning
the road was calling
We started rolling
Miles on the corner
But then came a storm
I recall it so well
Still curse the day
snow fell from hell
We kept digging a path
from early till sundown
Snow kept on falling
We thought we'd never get around
We only get a few shots
to break these rocks of ice
And today is the day
to reveal our true size
(text Brussels 2024 // picture Vosges 2018)
The palace of golden green
A winding road
over the mountain
from valley to valley
with rocks on the side
showed us a hidden world
a paradise still so clean
where trees are the stones
of a palace decorated
with golden green.
The walls of it
are hills of trees
with lemons and leaves
and grapes and fruits
which can be seen
after the dew is gone
and if no mist
has captured
the palace
in quarantine.
Take me back
to the mystery,
to the temple
of green.
Bring me back
to the mountains
where love
was last seen.
(text Napoli 2024 // soon: picture Amalfi coast 2024)
