Winter green oak tree at Lammö, Bohuslän Sweden.
Some say that a tree has feelings and as I hugged this old oak I’m sure I felt a connection and a warmth. I hope she’s pleased with her green winter coat.
Hug a tree but look out for the ants, ha de Gött!
English version
when the November rain
chews the light
like a black hole
devours it all
bashes the windshield
like an angry bird
in a Hitchcock movie
remember soft summer wind
gentle over your warm skin
as bright memory
brightens all
down to your bone
like a happy ending
in a Lindgren story
Svensk version
När november regnet
äter upp ljuset
som ett svart hål
slukar allt
piskar mot vindrutan
som en ilsken fågel
i en Hitchcock film
minns sommarens ljumma vind
smekande din varma hud
som ett ljus minne
värmer allt
värmer din märg
som ett lyckligt slut
i en Lindgren saga
Find your inner lighthouse, ha de Gött!
Astrid Lindgren is a Swedish child book author known for books like Pippi Longstocking, Pippi Långstrump. She has been translated to over 107 languages, even Latin. Changes are that you will find her at your library, and it’s worth the effort.
slowly the wind dies down
from frantic roar to silent whisper
as the sea slowly settles
the last waves make a lazy splash
onto the battered shores
a forgive me caress
and the sun slowly fades
behind the dissolving clouds
Anger is okay, but don’t stay that way. Ha de Gött!
Svensk version
långsamt avtar vinden
från frenetiskt vrål till tyst viskning
när havet sakta lägger sig
de sista vågorna gör ett slött plask
mot misshandlade stränder
en förlåt mig smekning
och solen försvinner sakta
bakom upplösande moln
Ilska är okej, men fastna inte i den. Ha de Gött!
Too warm, soaking sweaty sheets
too cold, where is that blanket
the too soft pillow is too hard
why can’t he come, only for a fast drive by
spread that magic powder in my eyes
Mr Sandman, please come on in
place two Sumo wrestlers on my eyelids
let them win this fight
slumber, only to fall over the edge
with a bang you hit the floor
wide awake, for the next hour
trying to untangle yourself
from the bed linen web
giving in, fading into oblivion of sleep
then the alarm goes off, and out the window
Sleep tight if you’re still awake, ha de Gött!
Swedish version
För varma, genomblöta svettiga lakan
för kallt, var är täcket
den för mjuka kudden är för hård
varför kan han inte komma, bara en snabb sväng förbi
sprida det där magiska pulvret i mina ögon
Jon Blund, snälla kom in
placera två sumobrottare på mina ögonlock
låt dem vinna denna kamp
slumrar, bara för att falla över kanten
med en smäll slår du i golvet
klarvaken, nästa timme
försöker du reda ut dig själv
från sängklädernas spindelväv
ger efter, försvinner i sömnens glömska
sedan går larmklockan, och ut genom fönstret
sitting there out of reach
in the grey November shade
overlooking the folly of men
going back and forth
six lanes of shiny tin cans
Sometimes we miss the things we see, ha de Gött!
a man of steel
an iron man
so pumped up
makes rattle and clatter
inside so empty
a tin man
No person should be an empty vessel, smile and say hi. Ha de Gött!
Explorers and travellers seeking new horizons
to boldly go where no man has gone before
just let me take some rest
Away is good but at home is the best, ha de Gött!
As the shadows draw closer
and the daylight fades into night
you can hear him tuning his violin
backed by the wind’s soft rustling in the leaves
and the beat of the waterfall
he plays his alluring tune
but beware and don’t get too close
Nixie’s wish is not to your best
The Nixie, Näcken in Swedish, is according to the old Scandinavian folklore a humanoid water spirit. He tries to lure you to the water in order to drown you. My grandmother used to scare us kids with him so we would not go close to the water.
If it sounds too good to be true it probably isn’t, ha de Gött!
Swedish version
När skuggorna närmar sig
och dagsljuset försvinner till natt
kan du höra honom stämma sin fiol
kompad av vindens mjuka prasslande i löven
och vattenfallets takt
han spelar sin lockande låt
men se upp och kom inte för nära
hans önskan är inte till ditt bästa
Sometimes Forestry Ulle walks the streets like an ordinary man, ha de Gött!
If you want to listen to the sound of silence the national park Tresticklan in Dalsland, Sweden is the place to go. The park is the largest uninhabited forest in south Sweden. The the 2906 hectares forest area has been growing untouched by humans since a big fire in 1830 in . One of the few remaining wild forests in southern Sweden.
I visited on a still day and between the birds singing there was complete silence. You could almost touch the silence. I did not see any of mammals you can find, moose, roe deer, fox, pine marten or wolfs but there was tracks.
I’ll be back, ha de Gött!
UlleHaddock 