Aase Berg, translated1 by Johannes Göransson

from Loss2



Cave Down

 

 

 

 

 

dol speed shuttle

 

 

 

 

 

light wheel-touching

 

 

 

 

 

 

the rush speedtunnels

 

 

 

 

 

 

trauma unity, crush zone

 

 

 

 

 

 

brace against trunk wall

 

 

 

 

 

 

10% slope

 

 

 

 

 

 

low gear Altamira

 

 

 

 

unlucked doors

 

 

 

 

 

 

delay decision

 

 

 

 

 

 

encase

 

 

 

 

 

 

———————

 

 

 

 

 

 

Naja

 

 

 

 

 

 

vulnerable vulture

 

 

 

 

 

 

hissing fossils

 

 

 

 

 

 

the red love

 

 

 

 

 

 

bundled up little gas cloud

 

 

 

 

 

 

blackens out around itself

 

 

 

 

 

 

in slow velvet

 

 

 

 

 

 

formless care

 

 

 

 

 

 

convulsions toward coma

 

 

 

 

 

 

collapsing still

 

 

 

 

 

 

dön

 

 

 

 

 

 

———————

 

 

 

 

 

 

Squeeze Yeast

 

 

 

 

 

 

eat own repulse

 

 

 

 

 

 

veingrip pressure drop

 

 

 

 

 

 

swellbodies in the stone

 

 

 

 

 

 

angina pectoris

 

 

 

 

 

 

aorta-clench strangle

 

 

 

 

 

 

strange struggle strangle

 

 

 

 

 

 

i am dead—

 

 

 

 

 

 

i have killed

 

 

 

 

 

 

archaeas still breathe toxically

 

 

 

 

 

 

oxygen

Grotta ner

 

 

 

 

 

dol speed shuttle

 

 

 

 

 

lätta hjulberöring

 

 

 

 

 

 

rushen fartförtunnlar

 

 

 

 

 

 

traumaenhet, krosszon

 

 

 

 

 

 

spjärn mot snabelväggen

 

 

 

 

 

 

10% lutning

 

 

 

 

 

 

low gear Altamira

 

 

 

 

olycklyckta dörrar

 

 

 

 

 

 

förskjut beslut

 

 

 

 

 

 

förslut

 

 

 

 

 

 

———————

 

 

 

 

 

 

Naja

 

 

 

 

 

 

vulnerable vulture

 

 

 

 

 

 

väsande fossiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

kärleken den röda

 

 

 

 

 

 

omsvep litet gasmoln

 

 

 

 

 

 

svartnar kring sig själv

 

 

 

 

 

 

i långsam sammet

 

 

 

 

 

 

formlös omsorg

 

 

 

 

 

 

krampanfall mot koma

 

 

 

 

 

 

rasar stilla

 

 

 

 

 

 

dön

 

 

 

 

 

 

———————

 

 

 

 

 

 

Krama jäst

 

 

 

 

 

 

äta äga äckla

 

 

 

 

 

 

ådergreppa tryckfall

 

 

 

 

 

 

svällkroppar i stenen

 

 

 

 

 

 

angina pectoris

 

 

 

 

 

 

aortaklämma stryp

 

 

 

 

 

 

strange struggle strangle

 

 

 

 

 

 

jag är död—

 

 

 

 

 

 

jag har dödat

 

 

 

 

 

 

arkéer andas ännu giftigt

 

 

 

 

 

 

syre

Notes

1 I have italicized words that appear in English in the original. ↩
2 “Loss" is used as an interlingual pun, invoking both the English word and the Swedish word for “release." ↩

 
 

Aase Berg (b. 1967) is a prominent poet and critic. She published her first book, Hos Rådjur, in 1997, followed by six more books of poetry, most recently Hackers. The eighth book, Aase's Death, is forthcoming, as is a memoir, En uppblåst liten fittas memoirer (The Memoirs of a Puffed-Up Little Cunt). Berg has also written a YA novel—Människoätande Människor i Märsta (People-Eating People in Märsta)—and published a prize-winning collection of essays, Uggla (Owl). Her work has been translated into a number of languages. She has four books translated into English, including most recently Hackers. She has won numerous awards including Aftonbladet's Annual Book Prize and NC Kaserpreis (Germany).