...and bang on cue: Pétur sends on some news of Árni - plus some poems!
------ Forwarded Message
From: Pétur Knútsson <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2005 23:40:28 -0000
To: "Alison Croggon" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Arni?
Hallo Alison
Season's greetings!
At last some conastructive news of Árni: he's strong enough to sit at the
computer for about 30 minutes a day, although his sight is pretty poor, and
he proudly announces he uses 2 fingers.
He's finished a short play which I've not seen yet, reversing the roles of
Hamlet and Ophelia (or so he tells me), and a lovely cycle of place-name
poems (following on from his cycle of personal-name poems before his stroke,
full of word-play which I've not had the courage yet to address in
translation) -Here are my translations of a couple of new poems. Perhaps for
those who don't know I should make the comment that this is not at all the
sight that I see out of his hospital window....
Best regards,
Pétur Knútsson
CHANGELING
After the morning routine
they hook my arms over their shoulders.
I am to look at the view at last
out of the window which has shown me
only clouds and sky
for endless days and nights.
It's frozen marshland, withered sedge,
a boat straining at its moorings,
the sea brown with soil
that has blown down from the highlands,
shoal ice in a little bay.
I scan it all in
before I fall back into bed.
It's not what I was expecting.
I am a changeling.
I am somewhere else.
NOVEMBER 2nd
On November 2nd 2004 the younger Bush was re-elected
President of the United States of America
On November 2nd 2004 I had a cerebral haemorhage
which paralysed me completely
On November 2nd 2005 Bush has lost the support
of nearly half his electorate
On November 2nd 2005 I'm managing to sit without support
and even stand
Comparison of this sort serve very little purpose
of course except perhaps as yet another reminder
to use time well
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