Something about music in March by Jaap Harten

Something about music in March

Jaap Harten
[1930-2017]

From my window

I see tomcat Ape sneaking over

the gutter of the neighbour's shed.

Grey skin against grey

roof tiles, a drizzly sky

above it and in the background

the RC graveyard with a lilac

prelate. Today an important person will be

committed to the earth there.

Starchy or dejected (who can say?)

the bereaved trudge, friends,

housekeepers, etc. behind the coffin.

It is 12th March, cutting bleakly in shrubs

and wreath ribbons: tears might also

be brought about by the lashing wind.

Always looking at tombstones

leads to too much organ music at home.

Why not play a LP with the

sonatina of Ravel for once?

Consolation is not for sale. Years

pass by and I'm off now to buy

luncheon meat; life goes on

they say. Even so, while shopping, I worry

about the right music at my cremation:

Satie too modish, Bach too outmoded.

I'd choose Greta Keller with Dis-mois je t'aime

a scratchy little record from the meagre

thirties, but the favourite

song of Dior. It would match my

French ties, boots and glasses.

I never really felt I belonged in

Holland, rather to German drag

or Indonesian boy. Honestly, I

am at an utter loss in this country.


Original title: 'Iets over muziek in maart' -from the collection 'Poëzie is en daad van bevestiging' - Noord- en Zuidnederlandse poëzie van 1945 tot heden - gebundeld en ingeleid door C. Buddingh' en Eddy van Vliet - 1984 - Uitgeverij Manteau Amsterdam