The lonely funeral

Isn't poetry the most suitable instrument to fall back on the great moments of our lives? For five years, poets have been writing a personal poem for the lonely deceased in Antwerp and reciting it at the funeral. It is a final salute to people who usually fell by the wayside during their lives and are buried without the presence of family or friends. The six bearers from the funeral home and the poet need eleven minutes to carry the anonymous deceased to his final resting place. There is only the small ritual left: the coffin on trestles, the flowers and the poem.

With The Lonely Funeral, writer and coordinator Maarten Inghels looks back on the five years in which he carried the unfortunates of society to the grave. He wrote a report for each deceased. All poems by Joke van Leeuwen, Bernard Dewulf, Stijn Vranken, Jan Aelberts, Lies Van Gasse, Maarten Inghels and Andy Fierens were also included.

'At first there was a false alarm. After the first lonely funeral in January I had called in a poet for a new deceased, but fortunately family showed up the day before the funeral. It became calm. But now, seven months later, people are absolutely certain of a lonely funeral.'