Paled, my senses
hibernate —
a hedgehog nested
in my chest
still too late
to rest.
Eternal winter:
iced my eyes
are blessed in cinder,
darkly cried
and streaked with ash.
A northern wind,
voiced in anger —
daringly alone my
hair’s still wild.
Underneath
This seasick moon.
Vision by Odilon Redon
Today Abhra opens the bar at 3 PM EST at dVerse for Open Link Night. Any poem is welcome. Just share and read… welcome.
Björn Rudbergs writings 
I LOVE the wild hair and the hedgehog. Bizarre details like these take poetry up a notch for me. Awesome poem, B.
The hedgehog in your chest is a great image.
A hedgehog nested in chest – what an image. Imagining it, the ‘wearer’ must feel it pain, but to me it gives a candid interpretation of how our insides often are: laced with spikes, while we are soft, pink and cute, inside.
Good to put a poetic spin on cabin fever, dislike of how winter sometimes holds us hostage. Do you ski, snowboard, or cross-country? Winter sports have never been my thing. Thank God, for the last several years we’ve had very mild, mostly snowless winters.
I do a lot of nordic skating on ice at the moment…. no snow, but good ice at the moment in Stockholm
One of the best I’ve read. Excellent surreal imagery linked to emotions of time and place.
Reblogged this on chithankalai.
I feel the northern chill in this poem. Brrr….In the darkest of days I would imagine it would feel like ‘eternal winter.’
Your verses are lovely Bjorn ~ This part specially resonated with me as we are deep in cold winter ~
Eternal winter:
iced my eyes
are blessed in cinder,
darkly cried
and streaked with ash.
Eternal winter: iced my eyes are blessed in cinder… sigh… such a beautifully poignant image 🙂
I hear in this my own disdain with winter cold, though I realize that may not have been what you were going for. The northern winds do seem angry to me and perhaps that is why I dislike them so. Peace, Linda
Hi Bjorn, I couldn’t help but think of a ‘hedgehog nested in my nest’ as a metaphor for heartburn…..have a good weekend…
Some of your images always amaze – hedgehog in ones chest – wow. I can feel that exactly. It seems eternal winter at this point – 70F and Sunny yesterday, tomorrow bitter and snow. That’s March! But it does seem spring is dragging her heels.
sometimes
stained
thread silk
pieces, turns
wanting…
remain
_________________
an enjoyable echo into the soul poem
I marvel at your imagination and creativity, hedgehog in the chest, senses hibernating and a seasick moon…wow!
This all sounds terribly uncomfortable! Spring’s on the way, even in your Northern clime, so you’ll feel better soon!
I really like your voice, and those wonderful little details, of hedgehogs and cinders. Great stuff!
I like what you’ve done with the hedgehog in your chest and the senses hibernating. Just reading those opening lines gave me a feeling of discomfort – and then I felt the punch of the second stanza! Great poem, Bjorn 😉
A hedgehog in your chest…and the second stanza an eternal winter iced my eyes…wonderful lines. So glad we don’t have winters like that..sounds painful! Cool or Icy poem!
Ah – you started playing with micropoetry too?
This touches me. It feels like a sonnet
Oh my goodness, this is spectacular writing. Really striking imagery!
Crossed a momma hedgehog once… made me always worry of grassy, river edges as that was where her nest was… Great image and death the moon with wild hair. Love that too!
…meant beneath the moon 🙂
The hedgehog – whoa, and the eternal winter. This brings to mind how the spirit longing for spring must feel at the height of winter cabin fever. So surreal and yet so felt so real.
Reading this, found myself, looking back, over the weather that February has dropped, at my feet. And find myself, being caked, in ice and snow, with the bitter cold chill, just walking the streets, in Toronto. And yes, I love the imagery that you use, Bjorn.
I get the feel of climbing out of a paper bag without much luck. That desperation the be and see clearly! Very good!
A northern wind,
voiced in anger —
daringly alone my
hair’s still wild.
Glaringly one can be worked up with the impending cold even if not severe
Hank
Acid reflex……..I’ve had that of late……and who knew? It’s a hedgehog in my chest! 🙂 LOVE LOVE this! The poem itself is dark….but anyone who’s had that awful feeling of either heartburn or acid reflex…..it’s a hedgehog somehow in there!
Very late to the bar…..Saturday post for me. I’m reading “backwards” with the last posts first…but have to jump to yours and some of my “regular” and wonderful reads.
I very much enjoyed the overall effect you create with your imagery in this and the beauty of the subtle rhyme scheme.
Extraordinary imagery, Bjorn! I can close my eyes and envision that clearly. Your words make it more vivid.
I don’t know how you make it around to read like you do I am constantly catching up. Lol! Loved the pictures this put in my head it was wonderful and descriptive Bjorn!