The Neon Lines of Blaak

Look up at the building next to Hogeschool Rotterdam on Blaak 16, and you'll find one of the most iconic neon signs in the entire city. The words glowing there come from a poem by Lucebert, one of the most celebrated Dutch poets of the 20th century, and they have been shining over this street since 1978. 

The line reads "alles van waarde is weerloos," which translates to something like "everything of value is vulnerable." It was placed here by artist Toni Burgering, who chose this rooftop as the perfect stage for words that deserved to be seen. And seen they have been, by generations of Rotterdammers and visitors passing through. 

The line comes from a poem called "De zeer oude zingt," which means "The very old one sings." It is a quiet, meditative piece that moves slowly toward something universal. Lucebert builds toward that famous line almost gently, as if the whole poem is leaning into it. And here it is, in full, just as Lucebert wrote it: er is niet meer bij weinig noch is er minder nog is onzeker wat er was wat wordt wordt willoos eerst als het is is het ernst het herinnert zich heilloos en blijft ijlings alles van waarde is weerloos wordt van aanraakbaarheid rijk en aan alles gelijk als het hart van de tijd als het hart van de tijd