Linear view vs. Masonry View

Tag Archive for ‘Writing’

Mothers Embrace

Mothers Embrace

Agitated voices, through the shut door

breaking glass, screaming and shouting

the ever cramping lump, in the stomach

pressing the pillow, hard over the ears

rejected and alone, holding a brothers hand

need

mothers warm embrace, saying it’s okay

caresses with hand over forehead

smelling of fresh baked, cinnamon buns

warm smile, under horn-rimmed glasses

humming a soft toned, lullaby

Today is Mothers Day in Sweden. This is to all mothers struggling to be there for her children. Ha de Gött!

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Caught Between

Caught Between

On the fortress walls of Fredriksten Festning. Two cannons, tools of war. Protection or assault at the whim of a self-, or Grace of God appointed ruler. Human history, hard wired to self destruct. Enemy and brother.

Two cannons to frame this lanscape photo of Halden and Idefjorden. Squeezed between cannons, the prosperous city with peaceful trade. Open ports and safe passage between borders. Railroad tracks to travel near and far.

Two hundred years of peace between the nations, even if there was a bit tension when the union was dissolved in 1905. Let’s hope that these cannons only serve to frame pictures for two hundred more years. Serving as a beacon of peace all around the world.

War machines belong in museum, ha de Gött!

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33 000 Rivets

33 000 Rivets

The 32,5 meter long aqueduct in Håverud is hold together by 33 000 rivets. Manufactured by Bergsunds Mekaniska in Stockholm. Not a single rivet has been replaced since the inauguration in 1868. It is part of Dalslands kanal, Canal of Dalsland that with a serie of locks connects the lakes from the larges lake in Sweden Vänern to Östervallskog in Värmland just one kilometer from the Norwegian border. By digging and blasting through the rock for 12 kilometers and waterway of 240 kilometers was created. With the canal in Trollhättan and the river Göta Älv goods could be transported to the port of Göteborg.

The work was a father and son project led by the brilliant engineers Nils Ericsson and his son Werner Ericsson. With 31 locks in 17 stations they created this blue highway through the deep forests of west Sweden. The jewel in the crown is the passage with the aqueduct and locks that cross the fierce waterfall in Håverud.

Something to reflect upon when looking at today’s climate challenges. Ha de Gött!

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Shimmering sea

Shimmering sea

The Sea Was Never So Shimmering, (så skimrande var aldrig havet) as iin the song by Evert Taube. Evert Taube (1890 – 1976) was, or still is, one of Sweden’s most respected poets and singer song writer. A national poet deeply embedded in the Swedish national identity. If you play a song by him all Swedes will be able to sing along. I attach a link to Youtube where Marie Fredriksson from Roxette sings the song ‘så skimrande var aldrig havet’, enjoy.

By the seaside everything comes together, ha de Gött!

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Milestone

Milestone

According to WordPress this is my post number 500. To write about milestones makes perfect sense.

Milestone originates back to the Roman Empire where they used them to mark the distance to Rome. Between each pole shaped stone, miliaria, the distance was one thousand dubbel steps, mille passus, approx 1483 meters.

In Sweden they were introduced by law in 1649 and was used until 1890. Back then local farmers was obliged to act as driver or supply horses for the nobles and officials travels across the kingdom. The milestones was introduced to create a way calculate a fair fee.

They used the Swedish mil that was 18000 alnar, cubit, that equals to 10688 meters. Today a Swedish mile is 10000 meters. If you ever get lost driving in Sweden and you get help with directions be sure to ask if they use Swedish miles.

Drive safe, ha de Gött!

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Man

Man

There was this strange

man

Bald with gray

hair

A scary bushy pair of

eyebrows

Antennas from each

ear

Abyss deep wrinkled

skin

Must be something

wrong

With that foggy

mirror

Scary when you feel like that insecure boy and realize that reflection is you. Ha de Gött!

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Easter bonfire

Easter bonfire

The ‘Påskbrasa’ Easter bonfire tradition stems back the mid 1700 when Dutch merchants in Göteborg brought this to the Swedish west coast. The fires was meant to scare of the witches returning from the island Blåkulla where they been indulging in orgies with the Devil. There is also a link to the burning of alleged witches that took place all over Europe during the 1600.

The Easter bonfire is a tradition in the northwestern part of Europe, Austria and Switzerland. Like many Christian church traditions this has it roots in the folklore. Fires were lit in the breaking point between winter and spring, to help spring to win over the cold and dark winter.

Keep the fire burning for all that is good, ha de Gött!

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Skerry got a name

Skerry got a name

A few days ago I wrote about this skerry without a name. Can’t have that my Mother-in-law said. After some digging in the local history books she found a name reference in connection with a rather sad story. The name is Hällbergsskäret. The name comes from a poor family with the name Hällberg that lived in a small cottage on the beach close to the spot where I took the picture.

In 1895 two orphans, a brother 18 years old and a younger sister 13 years old embarked on a voyage in a small row boat from Kalvö to Lammö. With only a 100 meters left to row go the boat sunk and the two youngsters drowned. The reason why the boat sunk is not mentioned. The distance between the two islands is just a little more than one kilometer.

Even the smallest places has a history, ha de Gött!

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How high

How high

How high can a tree grow
Touch the sky, tickle Gods feet
Will They just giggle and enjoy
Or, be annoyed. Blow it down with a storm
How high can a tree grow
Green dress of Mother Earth
Will She smile and dance around 
Or, be bored. Preferring the Dress of blue
How high can a tree grow
Sun seeking branches, embracing shelter
Will the sun, play shadows hide and seek
Or, be harsh. Prance about in dessert sand

Hug a tree, for you and me, ha de Gött!

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Gullbringa

Gullbringa

The small village Gullbringa, tucked in behind the rocks. In the past all houses was placed so that it was sheltered from the winds. Specially the north and the west winds. This made easier to keep the warmth in the houses. In the past all wood was used to cook fish-oil during the herring periods.

Herring usually lives far out in the oceans but in periods, between 10 to 20 years, the shoals move close to the coast. This made it possible to capture huge amounts of herring even with smaller boats. Result was a economic boost to the area. The challenge was the almost 100 years between when people needed to find other income sources.

Nothing lasts forever, ha de Gött!

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