Monica Aasprong | Norway – Patras World Poetry Festival

Fra Et diktet barn

jeg diktet et barn

det gir meg ikke fred

jeg ser det bli båret

blodig og født

Jeg skal fortelle deg det eventyret du liker så godt. Det om ilden:

Jeg møtte ilden i skogen

ilden så meg og så på

meg med skinnende øyne

den kom nærmere og nærmere

og varmen varmet

fra armene gule

ansiktet rødt

den stopper og spør:

blir du med meg inn i skogen

bli med meg gjennom trærne

gjennom gresset

bortover marka, skal jeg

under jorda, sa ilden

med munnen full av bark

og stemmen full av blomster

og jeg slo følge med den videre

gikk ved siden av den i mørket

jeg viser vei, sa ilden

du får et brev

som er så flatt

at det nesten

er tomt

så hvitt

og flatt

at det skjærer

seg inn i deg

ulest

inn i øyet

tetter halsen

vrenger magen

stopp,

sier barnet

jeg vil ikke ha

dette brevet

jo, sier jeg

det er allerede skrevet

det er allerede på vei

inn i øyet

jeg skal spise deg levende

jeg skal gjøre det for deg

om du vil være min mor

om du byr på

levende øyne

levende is is i

årene is i skallen

spekk hele isskrotter

levende

øyets lys

munnens mørke

nesens blod

lepper

jeg maner fram

ansiktsmasken

jeg bærer den tungt

jeg hugger den til om

det trengs, knuser den

om det blir nødvendig

jeg har redskaper

til å utslette alle

menneskelige trekk

jeg kjenner øyehulene

ut og inn

blikket er fylt av stempler

det viser hvor du har vært

om det er et stempel du vil skjule

så flakk med blikket eller sov

med åpne eller lukkede øyne

blikket stemples ved alle grenseoverganger

hver gang du har gått over en grense, sier

jeg til barnet, enten det er dine egne grenser

eller andres

From An Invented Child, translated by May-Brit Akerholt

I invented a child

it doesn’t give me peace

I see it being carried

bloody and born

I shall tell you the fairy tale you’re so fond of. That of the fire:

I met the fire in the forest

the fire saw me and looked

at me with blazing eyes

it came closer and closer

and the warmth warmed

from its arms yellow

its face red

it stops and asks:

will you come with me into the forest

come with me through the trees

through the grass

across the field, I’ll go

under the earth, said the fire

with its mouth full of bark

and its voice full of flowers

and I joined it on its journey

walked beside it in the dark

I’ll show the way, said the fire

you receive a letter

which is so flat

that it’s nearly

empty

so white

and flat

that it cuts

itself into you

unread

into your eye

tightens your throat

turns your stomach inside out

stop,

says the child

I don’t want

this letter

yes, I say

it’s already written

it’s already on its way

into your eye

I shall eat you alive

I shall do that for you

if you will be my mother

if you’re offering

living eyes

living ice ice in

the veins ice in the skull

fat whole ice-carcasses

alive

the light

of an eye dark

of a mouth blood

of a nose

lips

I conjure up

the face mask

I carry it heavily

I strike it if

needs be, crush it

if I must

I have tools

to wipe out all

human features

I know the eye sockets

inside out

the gaze is full of stamps

it shows where you have been

if there is a stamp you want to hide

then be shifty-eyed or sleep

with open or closed eyes

your gaze is stamped at all borders

every time you have crossed a border, I say

to the child, whether they are your own borders

or those of others

fra Sirkelsalme, (til Betlehem/til Jerusalem) del 1 & 2

jeg så en sol som bøyde seg ned

jeg så en sol som ville se

jeg så en sol som var uten ord

jeg så en sol som var uten jord

jeg så en sol som kysset en fot

jeg så en sol som ville slå rot

jeg så en sol som klatret i trær

jeg så en sol som modnet bær

jeg så en sol som sto mot en vegg

jeg så en sol som lå i et egg

jeg så en sol som var redd for tørke

jeg så en sol som var redd for mørke

jeg så en sol som lå på en strand

jeg så en sol som sto på en rand

jeg så en sol som skulle dø

jeg så en sol som gikk i frø

jeg så en sol som var blitt svart

jeg så en sol som lyste hardt

jeg så en sol som strøk et kinn

jeg så en sol som ville inn

jeg så en sol som sto og stekte

jeg så en sol som sprang og lekte

jeg så en sol som dekket et bord

jeg så en sol som var fra i fjor

jeg så en sol under røde faner

jeg så en sol med faste vaner

jeg så en sol som våget seg frem

jeg så en sol som våget seg hjem

jeg så en sol som lå i en hage

jeg så en sol som lå på en mage

jeg så en sol som bleiket tøy

jeg så en sol som tørket høy

jeg så en sol som tørket fjær

jeg så en sol som kom for nær

jeg så en sol jeg ville gripe

jeg så en sol i en liten glipe

jeg så en sol som kunne eksplodere

jeg så en sol man ville privatisere

jeg så en sky som var en stein

jeg så en sky med fire bein

jeg så en sky som var av sølv

jeg så en sky som var et føll

jeg så en sky som reiste seg opp

jeg så en sky som hadde fått kropp

jeg så en sky som var en kalv

jeg så en sky som var blitt halv

jeg så en sky som var en svale

jeg så en sky som lå i dvale

jeg så en sky som var en lilje

jeg så en sky som hadde vilje

jeg så en sky som var en skute

jeg så en sky som var i rute

jeg så en sky som var av aske

jeg så en sky som bar en maske

jeg så en sky i uniform

jeg så en sky som var en orm

jeg så en sky i et parlament

jeg så en sky med permanent

jeg så en sky som var astronom

jeg så en sky som var monokrom

jeg så en sky med en gyllen kant

jeg så en sky som var elegant

jeg så en sky som var helt svart

jeg så en sky i sakte fart

jeg så en sky som var eksplosiv

jeg så en sky med et direktiv

From Circle Psalm (to Bethlehem / to Jerusalem, part 1&2

I saw a sun that had no fear

I saw a sun that didn’t care

I saw a sun that had no words

I saw a sun that woke the birds

I saw a sun that had no earth

I saw a sun that was giving birth

I saw a sun that climbed a tree

I saw a sun that wanted to see

I saw a sun against a wall

I saw a sun about to fall

I saw a sun that tried to root

I saw a sun in a shiny boot

I saw a sun that tried to fly

I saw a sun that loved the sky

I saw a sun that was so silent

I saw a sun that was so violent

I saw a sun we had to share

I saw a sun that was so clear

I saw a sun that was neglected

I saw a sun that was elected

I saw a sun that was a tailor

I saw a sun that was a sailor

I saw a sun that stood in a line

I saw a sun that worked in a mine

I saw a sun behind a wall

I saw a sun that was so small

I saw a sun that was abroad

I saw a sun that looked for God

I saw a sun that dressed in red

I saw a sun that looked for a shed

I saw a sun that tried to be brave

I saw a sun that tried to behave

I saw a sun that came precisly

I saw a sun that smiled so nicely

I saw a sun that drew a knife

I saw a sun that fought for its life

I saw a sun that cared for rice

I saw a sun that had a price

I saw a sun that had to beg

I saw a sun inside an egg

I saw a cloud that was a lark

I saw a cloud that was so dark

I saw a cloud that was an ox

I saw a cloud that was a fox

I saw cloud that lost its way

I saw a cloud that wanted to stay

I saw a cloud that seemed to be new

I saw a cloud that had turned blue

I saw a cloud in a uniform

I saw a cloud that was so warm

I saw a cloud that was so young

I saw a cloud that sang a song

I saw a cloud that had a scar

I saw a cloud that hid a star

I saw a cloud that fired a shot

I saw a cloud that rained a lot

I saw a cloud that could explode

I saw a cloud that was on the road

I saw a cloud that was of mist

I saw a cloud that was on a list

I saw a cloud that had no choice

I saw a cloud that had a voice

I saw a cloud that was a vase

I saw a cloud that had a face

I saw a cloud that was of wool

I saw a cloud that was a tool

I saw a cloud that had a jaw

I saw a cloud that broke the law

Jeg så en mur som bar et hus

Jeg så en mur som lå i grus

jeg så en mur som gikk i ring

jeg så en mur som vandret omkring

jeg så en mur som sto ved en kyst

jeg så en mur som sto i et bryst

jeg så en mur som var av glass

jeg så en mur som krevde pass

jeg så en mur hvor man kunne be

jeg så en mur som var for bred

jeg så en mur med skyteskår

jeg så en mur som var 3000 år

jeg så en mur som aldri tok slutt

jeg så en mur hvor noen ble skutt

jeg så en mur som sto i et øye

jeg så en mur man måtte føye

jeg så en mur man klatret over

jeg så en mur som aldri sover

jeg så en mur man grov seg under

jeg så en mur som hadde hunder

jeg så en mur med kaprifol

jeg så en mur som var varm av sol

jeg så en mur som sto rundt et fengsel

jeg så en mur som sto rundt en lengsel

jeg så en mur som ikke minnes

jeg så en mur som ikke finnes

From Circle Psalm, part 3

I saw a wall that stood in an eye

I saw a wall that was so high

I saw a wall that was so cold

I saw a wall that was very old

I saw a wall that was a border

I saw a wall with a sleepingdisorder

I saw a wall that stood in a lane

I saw a wall that was in a brain

I saw a wall that was so small

I saw a wall that kicked a ball

I saw a wall that was of fog

I saw a wall that had a dog

I saw a wall that had no fear

I saw a wall that had an ear

I saw a wall that had an eye

I saw a wall that tried to cry

I saw a wall that folloved a star

I saw a wall that followed a car

I saw a wall that was in a heart

I saw a wall that was falling apart

I saw a wall that was of glass

I saw a wall one couldn’t pass

I saw a wall that was of stone

I saw a wall that was alone

I saw a wall that couldn’t burn

I saw a wall that couldn’t turn

Curriculum Vitae Monica Aasprong