Poem
there’s always
something to eat and drink for anybody
see—we make it all in this kitchen here, together
coffee?
of course! yeah for sure, that too
and, from time to time, are there people here to talk to?
from time to time?
there is always, there is always someone
and stories? I miss stories dearly
someone’s voice
of course, yeah for sure, that too
it’s swarming with words here
you can trip over the letters in all languages
they’re not always the most pleasant, those stories, let me tell ya
but there are always smiles in stock in any language
you see, it doesn’t matter to us who you are
have a seat, find a good spot
would you like some, by the way?
there’s still one plate left
always
there is always still one plate left
all you have to do is ask… will you stay a while?
Marrit Jellema
(translation: Preston Losack)
About the bench
In a neighbourhood with 58 nationalities, it is important that everyone feels seen, said community centre manager Dick Bootsma. While searching for possible starting points – the garden of the community centre and the residents – Machiel Braaksma had to think of root wood and connected that with the residents: one of the things that people have in common and that connects them is that their roots lie elsewhere. Machiel: “I think that the residents are very aware that they have their own roots and that this is visible daily through language, customs, clothing and food. At the same time, this great diversity is what binds them: they are in the same situation. The bench touches on the entire awareness of ‘roots’, identity, routes, life paths and journeys. At the same time, the bench is almost a ‘monolith’, a clot in the form of an atlas with a typographic party of words from the poem by Marrit Jellema. When you come across a word in your specific language, you feel that you are part of the whole that has been made visible. You are addressed one-on-one for a moment.”
About the makers
Poet | Marrit Jellema is a writer, poet, spoken word artist and the Poet Laureate of the city of Leeuwarden since January 2024. In 2019 she won a Spoken Award in the Lyrics category, in 2021 she released her first spoken word album Superpersoonlijk (superpersonal) and was in the final of the NK poetry slam. Her second album Voor Altijd (forever) followed in 2023. Marrit is the initiator of the spoken word stage ‘Hoge Woorden’ in Leeuwarden and prefers to combine her writing with social and community projects about literature.
Visual artist | With a lightly Dadaist slant, Machiel Braaksma takes objects out of daily life, with which he creates new images and situations which are funny, moving or confusing and nuance or comment on life. He chooses things from everyday life, reassembles them and creates new pieces. Braaksma says about his work: ‘I put everything in the wrong order in the ‘right’ way. “What I want from my work is that it’s original, unmistakable and that it has longevity. I’m looking for resilient, sturdy objects that can unashamedly be themselves yet engaging. Images with an exuberant integrity and a shameless, inner beauty.”
With thanks to
Provincie Fryslân, Gemeente Leeuwarden, Jan de Waard, Walter Baas, Stedon Leeuwarden, Duropabel Eindhoven, Wijkcentrum Bilgaard
Picture: Hoge Noorden | Jacob van Essen