Swedish Poetry 1
The Tree of the World Last night I saw the tree o
f the world, dark and overshadowing. An enormous expired candelabra that covered the lit window of the heavens. An autumnal tree, a bitter tree, immovable, with dripping bark. Maybe storms remained and piercing human cries, but all this occurred deep down below, where no change is possible. I saw a tree and the leaden birds of death, that slowly move from branch to branch. Werner Aspenström, from Litania (Litany), 1952. This collection forms part of a trilogy together with Snölegend (Snow Legend) and Hundarna (The Dogs). Translated by Malena Mörling and Jonas Ellerström 19 SWEDISH POETRY