Last week, I unveiled my summer newsletter concept. And what am I doing this week? Well, everything except sticking to that plan, haha. That's how it goes with creative minds, right?
The Poetic Intermezzo
I stumbled upon an Instagram account where Spanish poems are recited. For those who don't know me personally or haven't been reading my newsletter for long, I'm a trained translator-interpreter in Spanish, English, and Dutch. I also lived in Spain and Argentina for a while. Spanish captivates my imagination, lets my intense personality shine, and helps to reveal the most vulnerable parts of me.
My Poetic Journey
I've been writing down my thoughts in various notebooks for years. I’ve devoured poetry books by the Chilean Pablo Neruda, the contemporary Australian Lang Leav, and the Indo-Canadian Rupi Kaur. As a 6-year-old, I even won the first prize in a poetry recitation contest in Belgium and I've also recited my own work to live audiences several times. My love for language and theater still burns deeply. I adore beautiful words, but the spark to write myself had been missing for a while. Until now.
The Result
I carefully attempted to translate a Spanish poem into both Dutch and English. This newsletter is a bit more personal than usual. Next week I’ll continue the summer art concept again ;)
A Tip: Read the poem out loud or read slowly. The more you take your time, the more the words will speak.
See you next week,
Emily
Zo is Zij
Zo zalig gelukkig op haar vrolijke dagen.
Zo diep triest op haar verbitterde dagen.
Vurig
of kil.
Passioneel
of stil.
Ze kent simpelweg geen middenweg.
Ze zal je levend begraven of je ziel bedwelmen.
Ze zoekt niet te imponeren.
Ze straalt zonder te proberen.
Ze is de chaos en de rust zelve.
Een vrije geest zonder grenzen.
In staat om duisternis op te klaren
en te stormen op heldere dagen.
Zo sterk als staal
en zo fragiel tegelijkertijd.
Ze laat diepgaand
een indruk na.
Een vrouw vol verlangens en dromen
die het durft om zichzelf te zijn.
Zo is zij.
- Emily Van Driessen
This is She
So blissfully bright on her merry days.
So deeply dark on her dreary days.
Fiery
or frigid.
Passionate
or placid.
She knows no middle ground.
She'll bury you alive or mesmerize your soul.
She seeks no admiration.
She doesn't strive to impress.
She is chaos and calm intertwined.
A boundless spirit, undefined.
Capable of dispelling the darkest night
and summoning storms in the brightest light.
As strong as steel
yet fragile as a flower.
She leaves an imprint
that lingers.
A woman of desires and dreams,
daring to embrace vulnerability.
This is she.
- Emily Van Driessen
You were right, reading it out loud, slowly, adds depth and passion. Beautiful.
What a beautiful practice, I love this.✨