The Present Matters Even Less

Belle et Bonne is walking alone in the streets of Utrecht.

She looks down at the cobblestones.

Each stone bears a letter, and the letters form words, and the words are the words of an Endless Poem that winds on round the corner.

Je zult ergens moten beginnen......

Damn. It's in Dutch.

She goes into a koffie shop and orders a koffie.

Turns on her phone app translator.

.......

Vello and David are sleeping off onions and herrings.

Terence sits at the kitchen table with Corny de Pauw.

Corny is not used to infants. He thinks fear is the way to control them.

And sharp things.

Just like Saint Joseph.

Don't worry. Terence has been there.

No no! cries Corny. Stick it in like I showed you.

Wah! cries Terence. It'll pop.

It's already popped! says Corny. That's why it's floppy.

Wah! cries Terence.

Vello wakes up and staggers into the kitchen.

What's the matter with Terence? says Vello.

This infant needs discipline, says Corny.

Wah! says Terence. He hit me!

Never, would I, says Corny, hiding the fish bones.

.......

Belle is still in the koffie shop, intent on her iphone.

Je zult ergens moten beginnen, she mutters.

Ah, says a handsome young Dutch dude sitting nearby.

Ah? says Belle. Do you know what it means?

Ah? says the Dutch dude.

No, says Belle. I know what Ah means. But the words I was muttering....

Ja, says the Dutch dude. It's the first words of our Endless Poem, Letters of Utrecht. Would you like me to walk you along it?

Sure, says Belle. I would love it.

It will be fun for me too, says the Dutch dude, whose name is Arne. Come with me.

They walk back to the very first letter. (Which is J, if you haven't been paying attention).

They walk from cobble to cobble, slowly, Arne translating:

YOU HAVE TO BEGIN SOMEWHERE, TO GIVE THE PAST ITS PLACE, THE PRESENT MATTERS EVEN LESS. THE FURTHER YOU ARE, THE BETTER.

How lovely, says Belle. How poetic and truthful. Papa would love this.

(NO he wouldn't. Vello would rip it to pieces.)