GLOBAL LANGUAGES

A globe moves as a big balloon in a swimming-pool
and teaches transparent geography to the swimmers









The language of love
is silent and seeking
in life's loudly speaking
from down to above.

The language of silence
in love with creation,
a soul's inspiration
is full but still widens.

The language of silence
and love seem the same:
they show us the flame
but speak without violence

Of burning and brightening sunny salvation
of finding some peace on our blue-shining block.
Love makes man and wild flowers spread on this rock
where all life is looking for balanced vibration.

**********************************
Jan Arends, Torroella de Montgrí (Girona).Text and picture.
'Poetic lines', 2008.

SONG OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

The waters are crystalline clear, my dear
and white waves form longlasting rollers.
Young people and older ones play without fear:
Where are strange umbrellas and bowlers ?


The clouds and the winds are playing their game
of change in pictorial meetings.
And nature again is a beast not to tame:
a friend and a foe full of greetings.


The turmoil of tidings in summer and spring
in winters and autumns of colours
form now altogether a wonderful thing:
there's life without €uros and dollars.


This rhytm of natural beauty and strength
seems playing around with sheer kindness.
A lingering life is now asking for thanks
and then takes away all our blindness.
...........................................................................
Jan Arends, Torroella de Montgrí, (Girona)
Text and photograph. 'Poetic lines',2008

ELSA MUNDET, A LITTLE GIRL NEXTDOOR

When we see your lovely face
and you say so soft: 'Bye bye'
you become so full of grace
that we always wonder why.

Full of joy and friendly laughter
often asking why and how:
Oh, it's Blacky that you're after
grey and white, our fine wow wow.

When you are in play and walk
smiling is your finest talk
with your friends or mum and daddy.

If you loudly raise your voice
we can only make one choice:
you're a wonder, not a baddy.
........................................................
Jan Arends, Torroella de Montgrí. Text and photo
of Elsa Mundet. From 'Poetic lines', 2009

BREGJE

Written on the 'La Gola' beach


Your name, lovely daughter
is brilliantly shining;
two syllables only:
please never feel lonely.



I could write much more
in lines filled with sorrow
but that's for tomorrow's
or yesterday's shore.



I just want to tell you
in soft simple words
that you are my Bregje:
a word sometimes hurts.

.........................................
Jan Arends, Torroella de Montgrí
'Poetic lines' 2008. Sunrise in Isla
Cristina,Spain. December 2008

LOVE AND HATE

For my daughter Manine*

Love has so many faces, Manine,

one every moment, black, brown or green.

Open your eyes and you'll see very clearly

how all those faces do love you so dearly.

Hate has no face, is the end of a world

doesn't know anything, is filled with dirt,

kills all your feelings, makes you feel sad

gives you a pain in your stomach and head.

Love is a giving thing, happens and is

sometimes a smile and often a kiss.

Loving is friendly and makes you feel good

keeps you in health and in a good mood.

Hate is a black hole of nothing but blindness

holding you down in your own tears and dryness.

Love is a feeling of happily giving.

Love makes you really feel: 'Yes, I'm living' !

..........................................................................

*The Dutch name 'Manine' is pronounced 'Maneen'

Jan Arends, 'Catalan poetry, 1987. The photos

show Manine and my granddaughter Dana.

BETWEEN

Love disappeared,

hate became hurry.

I looked around:

too much to worry.

Green were the fields

and shining the sun.

Hate disappeared

when love had begun.

....................................

Jan Arends, Text and photo

'Poetic lines', 2009

ETERNAL TIME

The Past was to be
and Present is being

But future will be
just starting from Now

Going on, on and on
in Eternity...wow!
..................................
Jan Arends, Torroella de Montgrí,
Text and photo. 'Poetic lines'2009

CRUISE ON THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

During this cruise the
sun kept on shining.
This jumping light
caused lovely dining.

We drank water and wine
and met people so fine.
The days on this line
made us feel divine.

So joyful and happy
on blue Planet Earth:
this big rolling stone
goes on giving birth.
...............................................................................
Jan Arends, Torroella de Montgrí,
Text and photo.'Poetic lines' 2009

COLOURS IN SPRING

White blossom that changes from red into pink
in springtime with sunshine when people just drink
and play in this colourful landscape of beauty
where nature is doing is heavenly duty.

Green apple-trees growing in fields near the beaches
tell us with their colours how far springtime reaches.
And in all this music of life's jolly swinging
I hear my dear Carmen so caring and singing.

Look, Blacky our grey dog is now full of white
he spent in the cushions a quite happy night
and when we got up he looked very bright.

He plays and he jumps full of joy and of life,
his teeth are as big and as sharp as a knife
but he is the best friend of me and my wife.
.......................................................................................
Jan Arends, Torroella de Montgrí,
Text and photo. 'Poetic lines', 2009

HEY, THAT MUST BE BLACKY !

His olive-like deep-shining eyes
say welcome and wait for hello.
His hair sometimes glitters and flies
around us and makes such a show.

His beard mostly drips and it dances
when food is not far from his mouth.
He is our dear dog and he glances
as member and part of our house.
..........................................................
Jan Arends, Torroella de Montgrí, text and photos.
From 'Poetic lines' 2009

BLACKY OUR CATALAN SHEEPDOG

Our jolly dog with floppy ears
two eyes like olives and no tears
waits for some gentle morning-words:
he has already seen the birds.

His wagging tail it sweeps the floor;
he puts himself next to the door
and watches every little change:
his world seems simple but not strange.

His soft and fluffy bunch of hair
falls round his body and takes care
of good defence against the cold:
he is a loving dog we're told.

He is a comrade and a friend
using the house from end to end
and in his presence and his being
we notice things we were not seeing.
..........................................................
Jan Arends, Torroella de Montgrí.
Text and photo's. 'Poetic lines' 2005.

CYNICAL PEOPLE

Niccolò Machiavelli 1469-1527

It's easy to be cynical
and put your little self
outside this world, this miracle
inside a stonehard self.

It's easy to be cynical,
protect yourself from strangers:
maybe a little clinical
but far away from dangers.

It's lovely to feel wonderful
and live some simple joys.
This world of ours is beautiful
and we're but tiny toys

When life cures us from cynicals
and stops some type of clinicals.
When feelings form our source of life
in which we swim or jump and dive
................................................................
Jan Arends, Torroella de Montgrí.
'Poetic lines', 2003