Bridging Poems. Bumblebee on Bramble and the Martinus Nijhoff Bridge at Zaltbommel, The Netherlands
On my way South on this splendid Autumn day, I took a local train - amusingly called Sprinter - from Utrecht through many stops to Zaltbommel. I've whizzed past that town hundreds of time on the express trains and never visited. But today...
The small but pleasant city lies on the southern banks of the Waal River and was of strategic importance in the Dutch wars for independence (1568-1648). I suppose in modern times it's noted for being the birthplace of Anton Philips (1874-1951), cofounder with his brother of the electronics firm of the same name in Eindhoven.
But the name (Zalt)Bommel rings in the ears of many people in Holland through the famous and oft-quoted poem 'That Woman, My Mother' by Martinus Nijhoff (1894-1953). See my earlier
www.flickr.com/photos/87453322@N00/9700963650/in/photolis....
But the present-day bridge is a new one (1996) replacing the older one of 1933 that Nijhoff knew as 'new'. Although it's a fabel that he actually visited it and then wrote his poem. Regardless... And anyway, the ship, too, recalls the poem.
As I was exploring the River's dead-ends and meanders a Bumblebee tumbled past and made for a late Bramble Flower. And that brought to my mind another wonderful poem by the same poet 'The Song of the Foolish Bees'. One of its verses;
'No one’s by nature able
to interrupt his passion,
no one’s by nature able
to suffer death incarnate.'
Once again see my www.flickr.com/photos/87453322@N00/34719866722/in/photoli....
I trained away with the sonorous sound of the majestic organ of the Sint-Maartenskerk in my ears.
Bridging Poems. Bumblebee on Bramble and the Martinus Nijhoff Bridge at Zaltbommel, The Netherlands
On my way South on this splendid Autumn day, I took a local train - amusingly called Sprinter - from Utrecht through many stops to Zaltbommel. I've whizzed past that town hundreds of time on the express trains and never visited. But today...
The small but pleasant city lies on the southern banks of the Waal River and was of strategic importance in the Dutch wars for independence (1568-1648). I suppose in modern times it's noted for being the birthplace of Anton Philips (1874-1951), cofounder with his brother of the electronics firm of the same name in Eindhoven.
But the name (Zalt)Bommel rings in the ears of many people in Holland through the famous and oft-quoted poem 'That Woman, My Mother' by Martinus Nijhoff (1894-1953). See my earlier
www.flickr.com/photos/87453322@N00/9700963650/in/photolis....
But the present-day bridge is a new one (1996) replacing the older one of 1933 that Nijhoff knew as 'new'. Although it's a fabel that he actually visited it and then wrote his poem. Regardless... And anyway, the ship, too, recalls the poem.
As I was exploring the River's dead-ends and meanders a Bumblebee tumbled past and made for a late Bramble Flower. And that brought to my mind another wonderful poem by the same poet 'The Song of the Foolish Bees'. One of its verses;
'No one’s by nature able
to interrupt his passion,
no one’s by nature able
to suffer death incarnate.'
Once again see my www.flickr.com/photos/87453322@N00/34719866722/in/photoli....
I trained away with the sonorous sound of the majestic organ of the Sint-Maartenskerk in my ears.