With this poem I made thousands. Now exclusive on Steemit: "The Albert"

(Albert pronounced in possibly wrong French like "Albear".)

Albert Heijn himself:

It started as a gospel. 

Like from the cotton or coffee plantations where the slaves had to withstand so much terror. 

I walked without shoes in Winter through Amsterdam and many people told me that they hate Albert Heijn, the supermarket, after I approached them and mentioned their Albert Heijn bag how much I like the shop.

You have to know that often the last possibility to get a coffee was to go to Albert Heijn. At 01:00 AM I bought my coffee there.

So I got this Stockholm Syndrome with him. I first was going along with the majority of the people (Albert Heijn is shit) but the more I bought there the more I thought that he is a real father. 

Always there for his children. 1 Euro for a very good milk coffee! I started questioning the status quo as an ice-breaker, for fun, and when approaching my listeners. I didn't have the Stockholm Effect for real but joked around - all part of the art.

Back to the cotton field. When you don't have money the city is like a prison. Just like the homeless shelter in the Jan Van Galenstraat, Amsterdam feels like. So I felt like a slave. Sure I could have found a job etc,. but obviously I wasn't able to.

All part of my rejection to everything I didn't like and a tough childhood and the psychological after effects. 

To work for a company in which you have no control about what it is doing, makes bloody hands when the company is evil. To pay taxes means supporting the inhumane state system. 

Self-employment through street poetry was my way to escape these powers and live free. I like sitting between the chairs like Erich Kästner wrote on one of his books. Between the church, the industry and the government. 

Because to have no shoes in Winter and nobody who helps you makes you feel extra sad I had to channel this pain somehow and the first verse of "The Albert" was born. It was mostly a crying sound with lots of sorrow. 

Fast it became a success. The people liked the story, which is of course a mix of fiction and reality with a funny background and, who knows, a meaning behind it.

For fun, for creativity, more money and with a big mix of everything I continued this poem which grew to its full epicism only months and years later. 

From the sadest gospel to the most energetic techno song. Everything a capella. I sang these lines to thousands upon thousands of people. Just like I've told the other poem I wrote about last time.

I could write much more about it. Never took more than a few hours to create a post and maybe should write more but I think it's now time for the legendary smash-hit born out of pain in the rain: 

The Albert (original version, mixed language, English/ Dutch/ German) 

Albert Heijn, Max Havelaar*

kijken, koopen, hele jaar genieten!

Manche mensen sechen, Albert Heijn,

sij ein capitalist swine

But I say nij, no, neij

Albert you are quite OK

And when I look into the sky, I do not want that you cry.

There's slechte mensen, so wie vieleicht Bush or Hussein

Doch niet meijn broder from another moder!

Kijken, koopen genieten,

Albert Heijn sollst u niet verbieten

Sonnenskijn, hele jaar,

lekker bananetjes, Max Havelaar

English version:

Albert Heijn, Max Havelaar*

looking, buying, daily enjoyment

Some people say that Albert Heijn is a capitalistic pig

But I say no, Albert you are quite OK

And when I look into the sky I do not want that you cry.

There are bad people like maybe Bush and Hussein

But not my brother from another mother!

Looking, buying, enjoying

Don't illegalize Albert Heijn

Sunshine, the whole year

Albert Heijn, Max Havelaar

About Albert Heijn

About Max Havelaar:

* Max Havelaar is a label of the Stichting Max Havelaar who established the world's first Fair Trade Certification Mark

About Stichting Max Havelaar:

Have a good day,

shla-rafia publishing 2017

[image credit of Albert Heijn's photo: Wikimedia]

[Edit: Added image credit]