Chris Willemsen - Kat in 't bakkie (01-081)

Another one in the category football poetry. There aren't that many real poets who dedicate their poems to football players. Willemsen is one of the few, he even specialises. He only writes about dead players. According to him they are more tragic, therefore more suitable for a poem. He is right, as this book proves. It's his second one, not as good as his first one, but still a really good one, with some fine poems. The disadvantage of the second book is obvious. If the first one was good, which it was, the second one can only disappoint. Apart from that, when limiting yourself to such a small area (dead football players), the number of good subjects gone after the first book has shrunk a lot. Even though I am convinced that he could write quite a few more, a third book wouldn't be recommendable therefore. Even in this one, a few of the poems seem a bit far-fetched. As if he didn't really know the player that well, as if all his background research is based on one newspaper clipping.

I know poetry can't be translated properly, nor am I a translator. I'll still do an effort though.



Justin Fashanu 1961 - 1998

liberty

after fifteen european teams
the beautiful centre forward went looking for happiness
in the land where a lady with a torch
suggests freedom without limits

when in maryland he did it
with a seventeen year old boy
the lady suddenly disappeared

hit hurt and desperate
he returned to london
wrote a little note
closed the garage door
tied a rope around his neck
and kicked the stool away

freedom without limits
in america everything is possible
unless you happen to be black
and gay at the same time


And just because as a traditionalist I like old heroes, one more:



Helenio Herrera 1916 - 1997

the interview

the sun is shining in venice
the magician is nearly eighty
the journalist on a house visit
makes television incomparable

he converses history
the slave driver appears very humane
the romantic is enjoying it
he won't miss a single moment

breathless i see it happen
the fulfilment of a life's wish
an argentine as beautiful as maradona
portrait of a happy man

Gerbie on tour 44 (final)

The last newsletter I mailed to all my friends. And as LJ has become a part of my life, my LJ-friends are also friends, so my last letter here as well. Plenty of reading material there for all of you. Fifty something pieces in english, for the Dutch speakers amongst you (only a few I know) a few dozen extra. Have fun!

Gerbie on tour 44 (final)


It's been a while. I had promised to let you know when I had some pictures of my journey on the web. At first I thought it would be easy. Just scan some of the best ones, then put them on the web, voila, a website. Then I considered that a bit of an explanation might be useful as well. Where was that picture taken, why did I take one there etc. I realised I had quite a good record already, so why write a lot of explanations, if 42 previous newsletters can tell the same story. So I decided to put the pictures in the letters. Unfortunately I am not a real wizkid and HTML, the language of websites, is a fairly new one for me. So it took me longer than I thought. But it was fun to do. I got to read my own letters again. It sometimes seemed ages ago, but when looking at the dates it was only a year earlier or so. So now it is presentable. At least in my opinion. The address is:

http://welcome.to/gerbie7

You will find all newsletters again. To reread or be reminded, or to skip if you want to see only the pictures. To read the letters you have missed, for whatever reason. Nearly all of them have got one or more pictures in them. I have lost a few films unfortunately, bad cameras and two I gave to some Germans who were supposed to send them to the Netherlands. They never have. From Miami until Mexico City, nearly a month worth's has gone. Nothing I can do about it.

Also on the site you will find a few more stories. Some in Dutch, some in English. Some links to my old site or links to sites where my stories can be found. There is a guestbook on my site as well, if you want to leave a message. Do feel free to tell others about the site, do mail me with any questions about the journey, the countries I have visited or anything you'd like to know.

This is the last mail from Gerbie on tour. The tour is over, knowing my urge to discover new places, in the future I will probably travel again, though for how long and where to is still unknown. Stay in touch. I am still awaiting the answers from the questions I asked in got43 from more than 100 people. Thanx for those of you, who did mail them to me already, it's always good to hear from one's friends!

Thanx for your attention,

Gerben