L'aura del Campo

Den norske grunnlovsdagen and a pretty flag!

SPRING: 1 'Azamát (17 May)

          Den Syttende Mai          

Weather where I am: 78º.

Weather in D.C. where my friend Gastón is: 70º.

Weather in Norway: 45º i Oslo, 46º i Bergen, 52 i Florø, og 36º i Tromsø.

Norway was mostly cloudy or wet for it's national holiday, "Den Syttende Mai". Tromsø, in the far-far north, is even expecting snow showers tomorrow; although with 23 hours of light, I'm sure they'll be a few moments of sunshine.

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The Seventeenth of May, 1814 signifies Norway's freedom from Danmark; unfortunately, they were awarded to Sweden and had to wait until 1905 to be truly independent. Then what did they do? Chose a Danish prince to lead them! He took the name Haakon. His son Olaf bacame king thereafter, followed by his son the present monarch, Harald.

The flag waving in Norway (in Norwegian: Noreg or Norge) is more of a statement of identity than in the U.S. where it is so linked to the military. It's been awhile since Norway has invaded anyone. Historically, Iceland (the flag's colors are opposite) and Greenland and the Faeroe Islands (still part of Danmark) were under the Norwegian crown, but all changed in the Union of Kalmar (after Kalmar, a port in Småland, Sweden near where my family is from) after the plague had weakened the kingdoms of the north.

To see some real flags and an article (på nynorsk) click on this (the English version is on the left, click on engelsk/english, but it doesn't have pretty flags ):

http://nn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Den_norske_grunnlovsdagen

Where would I go if I went to Norway? Everywhere!

Tvedestrand, to soak up some sunshine along the southern coast.
Sogndal, in Spring, to see the apples bloom.
Bergen, for the music fest and the old wharves.
Rondane, to walk around the rounded hills.
Telemarken, the homeland of Vesaas.
Tromsø, in winter! and in summer.
Hardangervidda, to harvest cloudberries (multe)
Porsgrunn, to tour the porcelain factory.

Anywhere would be grand.

And I'd stop off in Sweden to vist AL! (And drag Mary Lou with me! )

IMAGES

Cotton floats by; the leavings of lindens lie: 2 for $20 the sign proclaims! for mary janes and footless tights; the sparkle boy tanks hang alone (I wonder if the price is right).

Quiet of the bar, cut grass, no beer cans, mourning doves at dusk. It's Tuesday during exam week ... duh.

"Kinda nipply out", says Donnell commenting on the view. I look for breakfast, find some pastries.

The scent of summer wafting forth from Winfields. The finger strums of Guitar Dave. A black pup on a leash. I grab some air to capture cotton.


READING

Started Cider House Rules last night. It'll be my bedtime book. Otherwise, my day will be lost in reading.

Looked through the poetry in Comma, Splice, liked:

Adam Collins, "The Sport of Survival"
JT Foster, "Space Poem, #2"
Dana Shongar, "Inch of Fish Net"

It's a Kansas Student Senate production.

I picked up Richard Hugo's "31 Letters and 13 Dreams" to look at again. Love his prose poem letters.

I've mostly read a book about bats, Bats of the United States, by Harvey, Altenbach and Best. I'm getting ideas about more poems! (like I need ideas?)

Okay, don't read further if you're easily offended. What I sketched today (one of 9 [127-135] I sketched, a manic day) I post because it has too much natural flow to ignore and not share:


Matt


It's not like you're a full service station,
with your pump hanging out, ready
to deliver juice to fuel the day. Your
ass tight against the noon day sun,
blossoming at night, a fragrant bloom,
firm, white and willing. No you're
more like a candy shop, sweet wax lips
a shade of pink, smooth milk chocolate,
candy-coated coconuts. You're Almond Joy
not Mounds. So fill me up, already!
I'm not here to just inspect your pump.

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