A poem by the Friesian/Dutch poet Tsead Bruinja

burning house

she lives in a burning house

every storm takes a tile from the roof

it is cold her teeth are chattering

outside someone makes up new traffic regulations

an old man goes on cycling

wrapped in newspapers under his clothing

she goes outside with basket of washing

black sheets black blankets black pillowcase

she sees the fields burning too

it makes no sense to be outside

better to go back to the walls

the dancing flames on his portrait

post drops unasked for through the door

crackling fails to reach the mat

her cat jumps up onto her lap

with a plantlike desire to be stroked

she pours more meths over the photo albums

brushes ash from her specs and reads

and reads and reads

To see the originals look under 'Geboorte van het zwarte paard' here