Airmail (28 page)

Thank you for the photographs! They are lovely, and a joy to have. How Emma and Paula have grown! They look so spirited and feminine.

I haven’t read your Maui translation yet, Carol has the letter! What appears to be a Hindi poem is actually an account of all your flaws and failures, drawn from interviews with your old schoolteachers, bosses, and girlfriends—it’s being distributed hand to hand all over India.

Faithfully,

    Robert

Västerås 1 May -72

Dear Robert,

it has been hard times with Nixon still going wrong and a terrible threat against Europe—the CDU efforts to make Willy Brandt’s Eastern policy collapse. I have been lying, grinding my teeth, in a transparent coffin, except for some trips—one a reading trip together with Gunnar Harding to Norrkörping and Växjö. In Norrkörping we read from the U.S. issue of
Lyrikvännen
(did they send it to you?) so “Hair” got its Swedish premier (I was making some arm movements too when reading it). I also read the now 4 completed parts of
Östersjöar.
(In the next letter when my energy has returned I will copy nr 3 and 4 for you—in the meantime, take this shorter poem that does not belong to
Östersjöar.
)

I liked the “jump-issue” of
The Seventies
very much. I think, being published there, I have reached the absolute summit of my public life.

The day before yesterday I saw Östen and Ella Sjöstrand in Mariefred (a small town 40 miles from here) just before they left for the U.S.A. They are present at a Scandinavian conference in Madison, Wisc. Are you invited? What a fantastic combination of people: Lars Gustafsson, Eric Sellin, Leif Sjöberg, you, Östen and Ella, plus Prof. Vowles. If you are there, give me a vivid description of the drama!

I hope everything is fine with you and your family in spite of the ugly times.

Love

Tomas

24 May, ’72

Dear Tomas,

I’ve studied “Pa Mauis Klippor” now, and I think the translation is wonderful! So much energy in the Swedish verbs! Superb!

I have a thought about the “arameiska” passage. I think the phrase needs more “s”’s—(I noticed Arabs were especially fond of the letter “s”—) (“w” they hated—and “d” they were just indifferent to as they were to all numerals)—so I think you might use some word for “understand”—i.e., “en demon some forstar arameiska.”...

I’m not sure he’s reading the prayers out of books—maybe the prayers are silent ones he is making up in the same way the ocean keeps making up new waves ...

Late, gorgeous spring here! We’re going tomorrow to visit the Muskrat Heaven...the angels with a low IQ ...

I didn’t get to meet Östen Sjöstrand—I was too tired (of humans and distance) after my spring tour to drive the 3 hours into Mpls to see him...and besides his
Dream Is No Facade
book was too intellectual...and there was too much defense of poetry in it...whoever heard of defending a mountain against detractors...and saying “A Mountain Is No Facade” or “A Badger is No Facade”...the female badger knows that...

Thank you from the

Arab nation

Robert

P.S. Do either of your girls collect stamps?

Västerås 1-6-72

Dear Robert,

so good to hear from you. I don’t have Martinson’s book, so you have to wait a week or so for comments. But I can tell you about the 2 words that are absent in your dictionary. “Kåckel” is an invention by Martinson, an onomatopoeic word, built on “kackel” which is a dictionary word for “cackle.” So if there is no other English word called COCKLE I think that would be best—or “cawkle”? “Slutarlika” means “shutter-like.” “Slutare” is a part of a camera, my dictionary says the English word is “shutter.”

I will try to bring more s’s into the Aramaic part of the crab poem. “Läsa sina böner” does not primarily mean that he is reading from a book. A child in a religious family “läser sina böner” every evening and that means simply “saying prayers.”

About “Seeing through the Ground.” It has one grand mistake in it: Line 7, “almost through it” is wrong. You think that the Swedish word “fast” means the same as the German word “fast.” But in Swedish it means “but.” And “tvärtom” means “contrary.” So the lines mean

“like aerial photos of a city at war

but the opposite”/contrary/reverse. The mole is taking his picture from below, he is a reverse pilot/photographer.

Line 1:

“Rinner ut”—well, maybe “runs out” is the best. It should be the expression you use about a pat of butter in a hot stew. Line 8: “dova färger.” “Dova” is mostly used about sounds, dull, hollow, dark sounds. I don’t think there is an exact synonym for it in English. Something in the direction of “gloomy.” Paula sometimes takes a stamp from the envelopes. I put some strange stamps on this letter, if your children do it. They are—as you can see—the stamps of the People’s Republic of Sweden. Love     Tomas

26 June, ’72

Dear Tomas,

I heard from Fort Collins today that you were due there on Nov 1st. When are you to be in Pittsburgh? How long will you be in this country? Have you set a date for the Univ of Minn? Will you visit us? Do you want me to set up any other readings? How many readings do you want to do? Do you floss your teeth everyday? What hobbies do you pursue at present? Do you prefer the shoulder strap or the abdomen strap? Do you have friends on other planets?

Signed,

    Ole Bull

[8-7-72]

Big Brother, will you cast your horse-dealer’s glance on this small thing. My Pittsburgh coronation ceremony is around Oct. 23–24. I don’t know how many readings Sam Hazo will arrange, I hope not too many, because if you could arrange something IN THE SOUTH or very near your chicken house, I would be most happy. So if things turn out as I hope there will be 2–3 Pennsylvania readings (Hazo) and the rest in more exotic places (Bly). But I have not heard anything from Sam Hazo about it. I know that the Swenson book is out, I got a review from the
Library Journal,
a kind one. Even you are mentioned:

Monica sends her best, she asks about the sponsored child especially. Do you succeed with Micah’s education?

Runmarö Thunder and rain

from   

your old friend

      Tomas

8 July, ’72

Dear Tomas,

Mary and I are going to the Black Hills today (of So. Dakota) to walk for a couple of days. Then on July 17th I go to Norway to brood for 3 weeks. Will you be in Runmarö all that time? Send me your telephone number.

Love from all your

poor relations

among the savages of North

America,

      Robert

10 July, ’72

Dear Tomas,

A friend, Bill Holm, wants you to read at Hampton Institute, a black college in Virginia, this fall. If you want to, save a date for that. You could go down from Pittsburgh. He said, “They won’t put out money for a white man, but they might for a Swede!”

Micah says ciao,

Robert

Runmarö 28-7-72

Dear Robert,

as you can see we have moved into Runmarö, and are perfectly healthy and almost nudists—the sun is so strong today, the birds are singing, but from the radio: new war crimes.

You ask about Håkanson’s “flimmer.” It is a noun made from the verb “flimra” which you, in my poem “Track,” translated “flicker.” So I think it’s right to say “That this flickering disturbs me is a fact.” “Flimmer” is often used when you speak about the way a wrongly adjusted TV-screen behaves. The poem is not bad and quite translatable.

Martinson’s “The Hill in the Woods” will be an excellent translation when completed. I will help you, but I did not have the book, so I wrote to a friend for a photo-copy of this poem—it arrived today. The 3 lines you don’t understand are typical Martinson word play with old-fashioned, folklore expressions. I will think it over. A problem is the word “berg,” that can mean anything from “rock” to “mountain.” “Hill” is probably OK but so soft, such a mild word, while “berg” is full of harshness and scars. The line you have translated “She was mad all right” should word by word be translated “She was hillstrong” or “rockstrong.” “Bergstark” is a Martinson invention and very expressive—I think you misunderstood it as “berserk” or something. But the girl is simply stronger than the boys and gave them a beating (she did not have to use a club).

Look at the stamp I put on this envelope!

Give the whole Bly clan my sponsor blessings!

Your old

Tomas

Gatan 13038 Runmarö

30-7-72 [postcard]

Dear globetrotter,

I wrote to Carol and got this incredible name:
Steinshylla.
(You forgot to give me any Norwegian addresses.) You must visit. We are in Västerås now tel. 0954621 021-11 10 45, the address you know perfectly well. Write or call soon. I can even pick you up at the Arlanda airport if necessary (have a car now).

In a hurry     

your friend Tomas

Thursday [4-8-1972]

Dear Tomas,

Your note has just this moment come! And now, alas, there is no more time! I have to go back Sunday.

I knew you were on the island, and I didn’t want to disturb you—you would have had to take the boat all the way to the quai, drive to Stockholm, etc.—it is too much! And go all the way back...

Besides, you might mistake me for one of those Americans—or Canadians—who say, with a wide grin, “I’m coming to live with you this summer!”

And double besides, I didn’t want to wear out my welcome—I want to bring Carol and the children and live with you all a whole week one summer on the island!! (So you see, I am one of those after all...)

I am just doing—up here in Steinshylla’s hytte—the last work on my long poem “Sleepers Joining Hands,” and I’m all excited and jumping about...I’m too modest to say it’s good...but I’m proud of it, as I am of Noah and Micah and Mary and Biddy...Your godchild by the way is the most forward child seen in Madison for many a year—barely 1 year old, he opened the top of the big record player cabinet the other day, climbed in,
sat
on the turntable, and turned it on! Of course Carol is convinced he’s a genius, and tells him so about 45 times a day—it’s doubtful if he’ll ever achieve humility, like the rest of us...Love to Monica—

Your Norwegian country

cousin, Robert

Västerås 9-8-72

Dear Robert,

your explanations for not visiting your old friend Goethe were a bit strained. The risk that we would be so tired of you after a short visit that we would turn down the whole family next summer is really small...No, we will love to have you all, yes a whole week, all the 6 humble geniuses, in our guest house. It will be a good summer full of innocent country occupations: fishing, chicken raising, walks in the woods, poem writing etc. Monica was happy to hear about your arrival. But first a gloomy winter. For me endurable because of the U.S. trip. I will be pumped up like a balloon so I can keep myself floating the rest of the dark months.

Write soon and send the smaller works so I can make selection for my next “book.”

Warmest greetings

Tomas

1 Sept., ’72

Dear Tomas,

I have my notes on your reading schedule from our telephone conversation, but I can’t read them! Would you send your schedule so far to me...you land on Oct 15th...then...all is murk.

I went out the night I talked to you with some Norwegian poets to Kjell Heggelund’s house and sat around participating spasmodically in the extrovert conversations, and thought, “This is terrible! Where is Tomas? Where is my wonderful introvert friend?” I should have taken a plane to Västerås earlier that day, but I was too stupid...but we are looking forward now very much to your visit here. Maybe I’ll meet you in Fort Collins, and then we’ll drive back to Madison...How would
that
be?

Varma hälsningar

Robert

Västerås 3 okt -72

Dear You,

thank you for all altruistic efforts for arranging readings! I will go to Hampton the 26th. But I cannot do Ann Arbor the 24th. That will give Pittsburgh only one single day and I think Hazo would be definitely hurt in that case.

I will probably leave the U.S. on nov 5th or 6th. My family needs me very much this autumn. We have just now no one to help us with the children etc. Monica works 40 hours a week in the hospital (they use the nurse students as unpaid workers—the whole Swedish hospital system would fall into pieces without that custom). I hope we will get a girl to help us some hours during my U.S. stay, but that is expensive. The conditions last year were much more favorable. Anyhow I am proud of my little overprotected daughters who have managed to take the situation in good spirits. [------]...horses, books, flute playing, choir singing etc. fill Emma’s day—I am surprised that she has time to go to school. Paula’s situation is worse, but she is the ambitious type and her geisha smile easily gives her protection from neighbors.

I am not at all prepared, financially and psychologically, for this reading trip. It is bad that you can’t inflate me with poetic self-confidence and poetic identity before I go. As it is now, I will probably stand in the Guggenheim museum bewildered, asking, WHO AM I on the 17th. As I don’t want to stand there and say “Well, here I am again with exactly the same old poems as the previous year,” you can give me good help by sending the final version of “Seeing through the Earth” and “The Dispersed Congregation,” 2 things you have translated—the first one I have only seen in a first draft and the second one never seen. So if you find them, please send them very fast (I will leave Sweden on oct 13th). No, it is probably too late already, send them c/o Academy of Am. Poets, Betty Kray—I will meet her before the reading. She sent a wonderful description of the situation in Pittsburgh so I know pretty well what I have to expect among the millionaires there. I will certainly bring a tie this year.