Category: Uncategorized

  • Allegro by Tranströmer

    Allegro (på svenska)

    Jag spelar Haydn efter en svart dag
    och känner en enkel värme i händerna.

    Tangenterna vill. Milda hammare slår.
    Klangen är grön, livlig och stilla.

    Klangen säger att friheten finns
    och att någon inte ger kejsaren skatt.

    Jag kör ner händerna i mina haydnfickor
    och härmar en som ser lugnt på världen.

    Jag hissar haydnflaggan – det betyder:
    »Vi ger oss inte. Men vill fred.«

    Musiken är ett glashus på sluttningen
    där stenarna flyger, stenarna rullar.

    Och stenarna rullar tvärs igenom
    men varje ruta förblir hel.

     

    Allegro (in English)

    I play Haydn after a black day
    and feel an easy warmth in my hands.

    The keys want. Gentle hammers strike.
    The tone is green, lively and calm.

    The tone says that freedom exists
    and that someone didn’t give the emperor tax.

    I guide my hands down into my Haydn pockets
    and mimic one who sees peace in the world.

    I lift the Haydn flag – it says:
    “We don’t give up. But want peace.”

    The music is a glasshouse on the hillside
    where the stones fly, the stones roll.

    And the stones roll straight through
    but every window pane remains whole.

  • Swedish poetry

    Poetry is beautiful. I have to be in a good mood to appreciate reading poetry. Last autumn I bought a collection with Swedish poetry. When I went to high school I learnt a few poems by heart. I liked “Jag längtar till landet som icke är…” by Södergran, since I am grown up in the country side. I was surprised when I found her poem in the book. I had forgotten those words.

    Moreover, I found a poem by Tranströmer “Allegro” that I like. Previously, I wrote that poetry is very associated to music for me. Tranströmer played the piano, and there is some kind of rhythm in this poem that I like. And the combination of words is beautiful. So, please enjoy. I found an English translation. Contradictions are fascinating. It has been snowing like in terms of Allegro all day today, and it has not been a black day like the first line in this poem. No Adagio. Maybe musical terminology can describe the pace of life.

  • Alicia Keys – New York

    https://youtu.be/BT4RlDl7z3w

  • The piano and a beautiful voice

    I work this weekend so I have a relaxing evening at home. It was a beautiful day today. Snow, sunshine and rather cold. These days are needed since it is so dark this time of the year. They are rare, and they make my life much brighter. Last time, I wrote that I have started to think about my next book. I will work on two books. Just like I did last time. But not poetry.

    Poetry is very connected to music for me. That is, poetry is like music and vice versa. This evening I spent some time to find some music to share. Since I am very found of the piano I was very happy when I found this song with Alicia Keys. She has a beautiful voice, and she sings about New York. A city that is always busy. A city that never sleeps.

    On the avenue
    There ain’t never a curfew
    Ladies work so hard
    Such a melting pot
    On the corner selling rock

    Hopefully, this will give me inspiration to continue to write. Because that is what I need. Inspiration to write my next books.

  • Dreams and future goals

    Finally, life has in a way settled. I am talking about my writing. I have needed time to refocus. Recharge my batteries. Today I started to think about my next book. I like the characters in the book so much, and I will continue to write about them. This is my hobby, and of course I talk about my writing with friends and colleagues. Since my characters are very kind and lovable persons, I was suggested to have a mean character in my next book. A good idea. But difficult and challenging.

    One of the world’s most famous speeches is from Martin Luther King Jr. I have a dream. At that time, in Washington 1963, he shared his vision for a just America. About work and freedom.

    “I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.”

    It is always good to have dreams. My dream and goal is to continue to write. To work for internet freedom. There are a lot of countries in the world where it is not evident to write freely. So, I am very happy to live in Sweden. Here we have freedom of speech.

    I like to work at the pharmacy and write in my spare time. Sometimes it happens that customers in the pharmacy say that they are in the library by mistake. Pharmacy (apotek) and library (bibliotek) are rather similar words in Swedish. However, books are a very nice topic to talk about. Everybody has a book to recommend. A universal interest.