Another poem by the Dutch poet Hendrik Marsman

Nun [Toledo]

Between the cathedral and abbey hall

was a double-latticed fence

and behind that fence sat this nun.

almost all of her teeth were now gone,

her gaze was sickly, her skin was wan,

she was neither wise nor dense.

Spanish seemed to make no sense at all,

for whatever one asked her she’d always

half-weeping reply barely through that fence:

‘I’ve been here five and thirty odd years,

and never will gain a reprieve.’

when though I said: ‘Come on, let’s leave,

this woman’s quite dense,’

she suddenly pierced us with such a clear gaze

as if God in heaven was merely a pun

and she’d gladly have traded salvation

for one hour on this side of that fence

sampling life’s hell at its most intense.