Thursday, March 15, 2012

en promenad i stockholm...


Empty the street in morning twilight
slithers, pushes into the distance,
gropes its way along city blocks,
cuts and crosses house lots and alleys...


*****



Rows of houses, grey-brown walls,
mouldings, drainpipes, balconies, railings,
baker's pretzels and grocery bushes;
level sidewalk stones as margins...


*****



Now, far off on the brow of the hill 
rises up a head that is moving,
and two hands wrapped around a cane -
like a mirage it rises up...


*****
 


But over there, and even higher
hovers the smoke-blue city skyline
there is the sun, the cottages gleam,
there is the breeze, flapping the flags...


*****

*selected verses from "Street Pictures" by August STRINDBERG (1849-1912), translated from the swedish by Lotta M. Lofgren, 2002.

 

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