Delft
Neil Leadbeater
Let’s go to Delft:
home of Spierincx tapestries,
Italian-glazed earthenware
and Delft Blue China.
Looking at Egbert van der Poel’s paintings,
hands over ears,
we can almost hear that thunderclap
when tons of gunpowder
stored in barrels
exploded into fire.
Crossing canals,
we’re keen to see the pottery
fired to perfection,
afraid the pieces we’d bought before
might break in the clasp of our hands.
In your blue dress and matching heels
your mind is full of fragile things
authentic and collectable.
Delft is most famous for the porcelain of the same name. The explosion referred to is known as the "Delft Thunderclap". It took place in 1654 when a gunpoweder store exploded. Much of the town was destroyed, more than 100 people killed, and thousands injured.
Poetry Atlas has many poems about the Netherlands.
