Orchestra

Sneering
seagulls on
the clay land

murmuring
shovelers in a
drainage canal

clapstick of
coot drowns out the
copper sound of
moorhen then

barnacle geese
again on the
airtrumpet

and deep down from
the marsh the
booming of a
bittern

that finally
pushes through

And I
i was there too

This summer bookmark of 2025 is part of Small Delights, the literary project of Leeuwarden UNESCO City of Literature during Arcadia.

Poem in all languages: Remco Kuiper | Check English: Vivien Glass

Remco Kuiper has been active as a poet since 2004. His poems have appeared in magazines Hjir, Farsk, De Moanne en Ensafh. He won a Rely Jorritsma Prize in 2019 and 2023. Kuiper’s work has also been included in various anthologies. A poetry collection will be published by DeRyp in 2025. Remco Kuiper also likes to make music. With the company Tsjinlûd, a booklet + CD with words, sounds and images was published in 2016. He also does voice-over work, has participated in the fringe program of Tryater and was a participant in the Sprekende stenen project.

Illustration: Julia van der Bos

Julia van der Bos is a freelance illustrator with experience in editorial, product, and marketing illustrations. Her work has a warm and friendly style that helps organisations convey their message. Originally from Russia, she has lived in Europe since 2017 and settled in Friesland in 2021. Julia also organises the Sunday Sketch Brunch and shares her work on Instagram with her active and growing community.