When you left

Poems started hiding

They hid in the closet

They hid in the drawer

They hid under the bed

When you left

Books started trembling

They fell from the table

They fell from the chair

They fell from a hand

When you left

Songs started whispering

They whispered from hidden places

They whispered without being heard

They whispered without any strength

I looked for the poems and took them out of hiding

I looked for the books and put them back in their place

I looked for the songs and asked them to be heard

And I told freedom

Not to worry

January 2022, Amsterdam

All poems