Hand work

Grandpa Rotten drew plans from early on in his life
houses one after the other
which are still standing numerous
in towns and cities

too early builder – The Builder's Encyclopaedia
too little businessman – Accounting for Standard 6
self-taught – goodness, with only Standard 3
but later, he mastered his craft quite excellently

why did he have to sexually abuse little girls

then several times during the Great Depression
bankrupt (he was faljiet: broke, Grandma Mieta said)

still, he recovered with a new house
a building with countless windows, rooms, verandas

Grandma Mieta made sure that there was food 

from nothing
sometimes courage, also from nothing
to be there with bread, with mutton in a napkin
a flask of hot tea

yet, he misbehaved

he was a criminal, a sexual predator

the plans, the yards, the buildings, all neat
for the strictness of the municipal official
and the envy of the building inspector
who sourly looked for a fault
but could never find a defect

now, after fifty years, sixty, even older
Grandpa Rotten's houses stand 

like monuments that are used

well-inhabited too, and alive

with voices that laugh and sing

and cry

and so the wood and roof tiles
the brick walls, the lead window frames
captured a piece in time

each building had character
the houses were warm homes
for people with voices
that enjoyed that quarelled

during happy times

and sad

why his weakness

why this rotten spot

because the days were thick
and full of uncertainty and fear for us

and when at night
the owl with hollow hoot
shook the walls
the trees trembled
with mortality

one day he had to leave
never to return to us
nobody believed him anymore
he was chased away by my dad
he transgressed too much

why the shame
why be like that

every dwelling still stands
but the cracks move through the reeds
in the dry stone-hard wind

and at night

weeps in innocence

a child

🦋🌿

Adaptation of the poem

© Annora Eksteen, 2025

HANDEWERK

LOUIS EKSTEEN

© Eksteen-siblings, 2001