However, poems were for him not the be-all and the end-all, like for most other poets. Berends has the age-old hunter's blood in him. When he was a boy, he was already more interested in the hustle and bustle of wild thoughts than the practice of plain old professions, although he does his work as a librarian diligently and dutifully. Occasionally, he finds himself in the mood for translating poetry or writing a review. The months he spends with his wife and children he finds very enriching.