I don’t read much these days, but I go to the library quite often so Bolle can roll on their floor mat and I can browse the kids books and she can chew them.
| En dag sier hun: Nå får det være nok Nå vil jeg si noe du ikke skal skrive Nå vil jeg gjøre noe du ikke kan se Nå skal du høre: Jeg er ikke en sommerfugl du kan presse ned i albumene dine Jeg flyr i en suveren bane, og alt du fanger er støvet fra vingene mine (Utdrag fra «Mammarazzi» av C. Grøndahl |
It’s like the open nursery, but without the noisy kids. Aaaah…
They cleverly display parenting books next to the kiddie section, and the other day I came across a poetry collection by a Norwegian lawyer (! This changes everything I’ve thought about Norwegian lawyers!).
The collection is called «Jeg satte mitt håp til verden», which translates loosely as «I brought my hope into this world», and the poems are all about various stages of parenthood. The lawyer is called Cathrine Grøndahl.
It is the most incisive poetry I’ve read since «My therapist said» by Hal Sirowitz, and by incisive I mean written in a form which appeals to me, about a situation I can identify with.
Her language is naturalistic but with the odd literal flourish and dreamy image. The atmosphere and pacing of each poem ebbs and flows like that of any parent’s life, and her themes range from your body healing after birth, to having dinner in front of the TV.
Several times Grøndahl likens her child to a poem, and I like that thought.
Still, every parent needs some written poetry in their lives as well. This one was well worth a read.