Vellum

Lieve Prins

On the edge of the Entrepot canal,

under the boat crane,

the monkeys are going off.

I dangle my feet over the water,

while a family of four behind me

bring wine glasses, orange deckchairs

and a cedarwood table out onto the pavement.

The smell of air-fried borrel hits my forehead.

Maybe I’ll get a bottle of the holy snail.

I see the spot where we watercoloured

those five herons on the Canta car.

Remember telling me I was doing it all wrong?

I think about that a lot while writing haiku.

You, shaking your fist at me for trying

to control where the water goes.