Searching for the soul of the city
CityPoem 1 - Delft
By Hans Karssenberg
04-07-2006 /views: 975 in past 12 months.
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This is where Inspiring Cities's CityPoem Project began: in Delft, at the back of the station, we found this poem, donated to the public by painting it on the wall.
Delft CityPoem
photo: Kees Jansen

Beach

With my shoe
I write in the sand

Look once more, it
Says, I miss …

To the sun and the sea
I let the breakers
Wash away the sand of my shoes

Tomorrow it’ll be gone
Tomorrow it’ll be gone

HK 27-03-2002

(Poem by 'HK' on the wall opposite the train station in Delft, The Netherlands)
(Underneath it says ‘The world is a playground’)


Original text in Dutch


Strand

Ik schrijf met mijn schoen
In het zand,

Kijk nog een keer, er
Staat, ik mis....
Richting zon en zee.

Ik laat de branding het
Zand van mijn schoenen spoelen.

Morgen is het weg,
Morgen is het weg.
 

Inspiring Cities Museum of CityPoems

Inspiring Cities CityPoemsInspiring Cities has collected many citypoems over the years, as well as organized salons with citypoets and cities doing special projects. We have two criteria for what a citypoem is: the intention must be poetic, and it must be in the public realm of cities. Shapes, form and locations can and do differ.

The Museum of CityPoems has citypoems from cities all over the world. From Alhambra to Zonnebeke, from Taipei to Lima.

Got one yourself? Mail us your pictures (free of rights) and description, and we will publish.

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