Utopie (dutch google translation)

utopia
utopie kan ongelooflijke isolatie zijn van de rest van de wereld
het kan Pyramiden zijn, het is heel extreem

utopia
zowel socialistisch als kapitalistisch
is een stad
bijna volledig verlaten
herinnert ons aan een heel andere wereld
dan we ooit hebben gezien
zwarte kolen overal
roestvrij staal
houten buizen
en een man
in utopie
op een fiets
met een geweer
het houden van utopie in leven

utopie spandeert tijd op Noorderlicht
rollende zijde naar de kant met de golven
stampen boog naar achteren met de zwelling
warme gezelschap in de cabine
winderig uitzicht op het dek
vogels zwoegen langs de boot
rennen de wind
geweldige uitzichten langs

utopie is de bemanning die van de boot geniet, die door de golven rijdt
eenzaamheid op dek voor sommigen
prachtige maaltijden geserveerd door anderen
de boot schip houden en gevuld met goodies
mensen heen en weer naar de kust brengen

utopie leert ons over de boot
het is geschiedenis
hoe u de zeilen opstijgt
hoe de boom te trimmen
zelfs helming wanneer nodig

utopie neemt ons aan wal
laat ons het platteland zien
de hutten
voor het ogenblik verlaten
maar enkele dagen
bloeiend met activiteit
het horen van de geweldige manieren
het landschap rondom ons werd gecreëerd
over honderden miljoenen jaren

vogels zien
zeehonden, walvissen en vossen
ongelooflijk kleine planten
met nog tinier bloemen
vasthouden aan het leven in bossen de grootte van mijn hand

utopie is een ijsbeer
gezien in de regen
wandelen langs een klif
onbewust aan ons
wij zijn het
nu weg te gaan
uit ijsbeer utopie
wat zou kunnen zijn
wederzijdse dystopie

utopie is foto's
duizenden van hen
door ons allemaal genomen
herinneringen van een tijd
momentopnamen van een moment
waar we ervoor gekozen hebben om te besteden
tijd met elkaar
in utopie

utopie is anders
anders voor ons allemaal
maar gedeeld tussen ons

Op een reis naar Spitzbergen/Svalbard werd ik gevraagd een gedicht te schrijven over de reis op Noorderlicht. We hadden net een spookstad genaamd Pyramiden bezocht. Het is een Russische utopische nederzetting die in hun tijd een relikwie is geworden. Ik ben nog nooit zo op een plek geweest. Het was verbazingwekkend om de laatste en laatste verbazingwekkende foto's van het leven over vele decennia te zeggen en hoe het allemaal kan vallen. Maar negen personen wonen er nog steeds, reizen door de spookstad en ze houden van de plaats. Het kan niet vaak zeggen ... 'Ik heb meer dan de helft van de bevolking van een stad ontmoet'

My dutch friends ... if any of this seems wrong please let me know and I'll adjust the translation based on your suggestions. All I did was google translate it.

(C) Copyright Luke Visser 2017 (written Sep 2017)

Utopia

utopia can be incredible isolation from the rest of the world
it can be Pyramiden at it's very extreme

utopia
both socialist and capitalist
is a town
almost fully abandoned
reminding us of a world completely different
than we have ever seen
black coal everywhere
rusted steel
wooden ducting
and a man
in utopia
on a bicycle
with a rifle
keeping utopia alive

utopia is spending time on Noorderlicht
rolling side to side with the waves
pitching bow to stern with the swell
warm companionship in the cabin
windy view on the deck
birds swooping past the boat
riding the wind
amazing views sweeping by

utopia is the crew enjoying the boat driving through the waves
solitude on deck for some
magnificent meals served up by others
keeping the boat shipshape and stocked with goodies
ferrying people back and forth to the shore

utopia is teaching us about the boat
it's history
how to haul up the sails
how to trim the boom
even helming when needed to

utopia is taking us ashore
showing us the countryside
the huts
for the moment abandoned
but some days
thriving with activity
hearing of the amazing ways
the landscape around us was created
over hundreds of millions of years

seeing birds
seals, whales and foxes
incredibly tiny plants
with even tinier flowers
clinging to life in forests the size of my hand

utopia is a polar bear
seen in the rain
wandering along a cliff
oblivious to us
it's us
now moving away
from ice bear utopia
which could end up being
mutual dystopia

utopia is photos
thousands of them
taken by us all
memories of a time
snapshots of a moment
where we chose to spend
time with each other
in utopia

utopia is different
different for all of us
but shared between us

On a trip to Spitzbergen/Svalbard I was asked to write a poem about the journey on Noorderlicht. We had just visited a ghost town called Pyramiden. It's a Russian utopian settlement that has turned into a relic to their times. I have never been in a place like it. It was astonishing to say the least and and amazing snapshot of life over many decades and how it all can fall apart. But nine individuals still live there, taking tours through the ghost town and they love the place. It's not often I can say ... "I've met more than half the population of a town" (C) Copyright Luke Visser 2017 (written Sep 2017)

The Wanderer

Part 1: Hidden
Part 2: Who
Part 3: Companion

Companion

First Part: Hidden

Previous Part: Who

confusion

dismay, delight

frustration, exhilaration

how can you be here

how can you be in this place

a haven

but so completely away from my life

you're not here

you can't be here

how can

silence

wind

solitude

be the companion that waits for me here

but you are here

the scent of you is here

i shake my head

it's the island

it's plants, the trees, the flora of the island that i smell

it's not you

i lay back on the deck

silently, quietly

the wind continues to caress my skin

and the fog sweeps back in

it overwhelms the stars

the moon succombs too

it is all gone

just the wind

the fog and i

shaking my head

didn't help

not one little bit

you're still there

alone

forever, my forever, it really has been forever

i have known you

the scent is still there

it's been entwined in my life

hidden all the time

but always there

i draw it in

deeply

allowing it to enter me deeply

it's strange how it calls to me

it's strange how it seems so familiar

i could swear this was the first time

i had ever known you

alone

gone

it's gone

the wind is gone

the fog is back and encompassing

gone too

are you

my aloneness is gone

much to do

a boat doesn't look after itself

scrubbing

tending

lines to be checked

each rope, each sheet, each line

carefully checked, caressed and treated with tenderness

my life depends on this boat

carries me through life

bears me safely through the waters

needs to be cared for

the sails

laid out and checked

stress points eased

a fold that may turn into a tear

smoothed and laid back to rest

the wood

the most beautiful part

grained and worn

oiled and sanded

i hesitate

that wind

is back

the scent is back

arghhhhhh

back to tending

forget the scent

forget the wind

working from the bow to the stern

oiling the wood

feeling the grain

drawing out the fine tones of the wood

from the weather and sea worn timbers

it takes time

to tend to a boat

but once done

beautiful

i stand and admire

bathed in the moon light

bathed in the star light

the fog is gone again

i barely noticed

i didn't notice

alone with my boat

my companion

made of wood, rope and sail

the wind still lingers

if the boat is my companion

the wind is

fickle, sensuous and ever present

powerful, persuasive

tempting

the wind draws me from safety

into adventure

into storms

into beauty

life stands still when there is no wind

life becomes bland

the more powerful

the more persuasive

the bigger the adventure

and carries you

you who have always been there

carries you to me

and me to where

where does the wind carry me

alone

with my companion

oiled

sweaty

stained

tired

and weary

my companion looks beautiful

for our next adventure

alone

fleetingly

you're there again

that wind

bringing you to me

i hate the wind

i love the wind

movement

on the shore

on the beach

why would i think

i was alone

the sounds of the sky

the sounds of the sea

and the sounds of the land

flow in on me

why would i think that

there are many around

in the sea, in the air and on the land

amazing

that i missed them

immersed in myself

and my companion

they are all around

everywhere

fish

birds

crabs

noises everywhere

movement everywhere

and you

on the shore

is it you

on the shore

it is you

on the shore

always

i have known you

and the wind

has brought me to you

alone

both alone

(C) Copyright Luke Visser 2014 (written Oct 2014)

Who

First Part: Hidden

Previous Part: Hidden

nestled in the cove

safe

moonlight through the wispy clouds

bathing the deck in pale light

shadows and light

the world is gone

home is gone

never have i been this deep in this fog

to find that in the fog there is no fog

patches maybe

but mostly openness and light

moonlight

and starlight

often the starlight is forgotten

outshone by the moon

fleetingly i wonder

is the moon so bright to cover for it's jealousy

of all the stars

thousands and millions of them

fleetingly a thought takes hold

the constancy of the stars

their brightness in darkness

their ever present nature

always outshone by the sun

competing with the moon

or do they compete

in their own lives are they as strong as the moon

as the sun even

i'm not alone

i'm not alone

is what they say

and they hold that thought

and the gentle wind in the bay blows the ember of thought

i am not alone

thousands of stars

maybe thousands of moons

celebrate tonight with me

can you celebrate with someone without knowing them

i can

i toast the stars

and laugh

i am not alone

i let that thought sink in slowly

and remember my home

i feel alone there at times

but i am not really alone

i am not alone

even in this bay

this haven from life

i'm not alone

the vastness of distance it may be

but i am not alone

stretched on the deck

moonlight bathing the deck

and me

stars twinkling their conversations

immersed in life

not alone

but

alone

my haven

protected by fog

waves

darkness

i am alone

and i love it

my haven

all my life i have known you

all my life i have walked with you

all my life for this moment of aloneness

the comfort

the intimacy

of aloneness

all my life i have known you

all my life i have seen you

all my life i have seen you in others

the sadness

the vulnerability

of aloneness

all my life i have sensed you

all my life i have felt you

all my life i have searched for your companion

the joy

the respect

of aloneness

it wafts across me like a gentle breeze

as i lay there on the deck

it is a gentle breeze

caressing my skin with it's coolness

it teases the hair on my head

the whiskers on my face

the hair on my chest

my arms

my legs

it's intimacy is unreasonable

but expected

the wind ever does what it wants

ever goes where it wants

ever does what it wants

who am i to argue

it drew me here

it is my companion

i am not alone

i  can smell the island on the breeze

it's scents

it's aromas

the island is sharing itself with me

or is the wind

taking from the island

and giving to me

some are strong

some are subtle

some are pungent

others elusive

one more elusive than the others

catches my breath

draws me on

i know you

i have always known you

how can you be here

never have i seen you

never have i been with you

but i know you

your scent has always been with me

how can you be here

this is my place

this is just me

alone

with the moon

with the stars

with the breeze

with the island

how can you be here

but you are

all my life

all my life

i have known you

how can you be here

but you are

i really am not alone

(C) Copyright Luke Visser 2014 (written Sep 2014)

Next Part: Companion