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Indreeide, Erling

Erling Indreeide (b 1945) made his debut with the collection of poetry PARTS in 1972, and has since published six collections of poetry, one musical drama, one reinterpretation, a children’s book, plus GETS UP AND LEAVES (1993) and TOOTH FOR AN EYE (2001) with the genre description sagas. In 2003 the essay EXTRACT OF DISTRUST HE WHO ISN’T NOSTALGIC, which won him the Melsom Prize. His latest book CROSS-COUNTRY Cross-country is a collection of poetry.

From Angle in Wind, 1987: POEMS AND FOREST

All my poems are a step

back into the forest.

With forest and darkness at my back

I grew up. Free access.

One could enter there,

where only birds’ eyes swerved at the ridges.

Grazing fields. Light laid snow. Fall evenings

so black that words disappeared,

with only a faint recall

of poring rocks. Winter nights of

such insane light that words were naked

with downcast eyes, runaways

in sudden flood light. Fall evenings

with stoic darkness

around vibrating lamps. All my poems

are a step back into the forest

with soft pats on the back,

with cow’s eyes witless reason.

You can hear howls from the careless

victims of the streetlight’s deceit.

All my poems are a step into the forest

towards darkness,

grazing fields,

light laid snow,

crows’ eyes.

(Translated by Hanne Bramness)