hi again – this time:
IS NOT THE TIME

15/06/2025

it is my impression that we, as a society, have for a while now been preoccupied with a political and social climate that can only be experienced as more tense and more divisive than - in relation to my lifetime - ever before. accusations are held, insults are spoken and threats are made. and sadly, every day the news testify to what is felt all along: that democracy is under great threat. it is felt deeply by a large array of people, but even more so by marginalized groups, that have struggled to have their voices heard and their needs seen - even before a large group of more or less privileged voters forgot or consciously ignored our shared history and the consequences of its terrible and unnecessary need for culprits.

i used to think and say that i was not a particularly politically motivated artist until i realised that firstly that can only be said from the greatest position of privilege and secondly that it is not true. what is true is that i don't throw stones at the police in rage or helplessness or shout out proclaims of injustice by sharing social media postings. 

nonetheless, helplessness and injustice are felt. and instead of letting it paralyse me, i thought it better to find a way - my way - of grappling with it. and since my way usually consists of writing and making things, for now this is it: a poem on 10 silver objects.

__________

a poem in 10 objects
THIS IS NOT THE TIME

in 10 objects 'this is not the  time' reflects on humanity’s tendency to disconnect from one another and from the world. it critiques greed and mistrust, emphasizing that these are self-made barriers that prevent true connection. it urges us to remember our shared humanity – our warmth, vulnerability and need for sympathy – and it challenges us to move past fear and division. it is a plea for empathy and hope in the face of urgency.

1
this is not the time
to succumb
to man-made fears.
and fears of what?
how long have you been
on this beautiful planet?
17 years?
36,
54,
79,
even longer?
and you have not yet noticed
that wealth is not measured in

2
capital
but in connection?
heavens, where have you been?
i want to laugh
if this weren’t just so sad,
so urgent.
the most urgent it has ever been.
please don‘t tell me you haven‘t seen
that this person next to you,

3
reaching out for you,
has a nose as well
and cheeks
and eyes
and blood
invisibly

4
pumping through them,
the same colour as yours,
the same warmth.
you could feel it if you wanted to,
you know?
are you really this ignorant?
to fear what is just like you!

5
ohhh, now i see,
i have hit the nail on the head,
haven‘t i?
it is not the other, it is you.
you do not trust yourself

6
and your intrinsic human fear of
being left behind
and your feeble human notion of
answering with rage
and greed.
sweet
darling,

7
i beg you,
try again.
this is not all you are.
you are wanted, remember?
you are warm, remember?
just like this hand here.
please just tell me

8
you‘ll hold it
and realise
that this is what helps it:
connection,
warmth.
your warmth.
nothing else,

9
not if it is to sustain.
they say you fall for simple promises.
well here‘s another one:
we will only ever live
with each other.
we will only ever be meant
for each other.

10
would you be willing to try
to trust
this beautiful planet?
what do you think?

__________

empathy and connection can be practiced by each and every one of us, simply by (being willing to) paying attention. to the world around us, our next door neighbor, the guy in the cafe, the woman on the bus. if we pay attention i pretty am certain that simply by being human, the connection will take care of itself. we will act, we will react, we will connect. we cannot help it.

and what a lovely thought it is to think that maybe, if these words resonate, those 10 objects will create a rather direct connection already, just by being out in the world with you. ever changing, ever evolving, but as a cohesive force. a force of connection. 

thanks for reading <3

__________

stay close, stay warm.
until next time, j.