No parade for us,
no flesh of thighs exposed,
(it’s way too cold)
no dancing in the street
(we’re not so bold)
no saints or idols on display
(we rather hide our gold)
We never carnival,
but we are happy still
to eat:
a bun with cream.
so soft and sweet,
an almond kiss that leaves
a splash of powdered sugar
on your nose.
A bun to bring the right
amount of balanced bliss,
before we stumble
into such a modest lent
that seems to be
like Monday on repeat.
We never carnival
in Sweden,
we are modest
and we eat our buns.
Today Amaya hosts at dVerse and asks us to write about the tradition of Mardi Gras and Carnival. We are very Modest here in Sweden which probably comes from our Lutheran traditions.
—
March 12, 2019
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Nice rhythm here. I’m sure the Swedes must go a little crazy sometime. Midsummer, maybe?
Ha… yes definitely…
This is a classic version which is almost true
That looks/sounds yummy.
What an adorable poem. Love this section:
“but we are happy still
to eat:
a bun with cream.
so soft and sweet,
an almond kiss that leaves
a splash of powdered sugar
on your nose.”
I really like the sing-songy nursery-rhymish vibe of that part.
You would love these little buns… they are just delicious…
What’s in them? Are there different flavors of cream? I want mine to be raspberry, white chocolate, or honey, please.
Oh no… the cream is just sweet with maybe some vanilla, but inside the bun you have a delicious filling of almond and sugar…
This has a wonderful flow Bjorn. And that bun looks so delicious!
That bun looks positively Roman Catholic 🙂
but it has no crucifix
You can’t eat a crucifix.
Now I’m hungry for a good bun! 🙂
a quiet celebration with a sweet bun sounds pretty good to me
You make a very convincing case for the Swedish carnival, buns with almond kisses… lovely.
That bun looks like I could eat a dozen! I have a feeling that the Swedes do go crazy at times. After all, look at all the gorgeous blondes you have gifted to the world! And Midsumer! I like the rhythm in this poem, like it is dying to cut loose.
As long as you have time to cut loose, which it looks like you do at Midsummer. The bun looks so yum.
Nice sound in these lines: “A bun to bring the right
amount of balanced bliss,”
Sounds delish. Living a Monday on repeat still sounds like a tough form of penitence!
Ah, well said! I can relate.
Just like Finland I think
Exactly!
I love your tongue-in-cheek Swedish carnival, Björn, which is right up my street these days, especially those delicious buns! I also like the sing-song rhyme, rather like the sing-song of the Swedish language, which I adore and wish I could speak. I especially enjoyed the lines:
‘an almond kiss that leaves
a splash of powdered sugar
on your nose’
and
‘…we stumble
into such a modest lent
that seems to be
like Monday on repeat’.
Mini-carnavals mean modest Lents. A rich poem for a restrained celebration.
As you said, “balanced bliss.” This seems to sum up much of what I’ve heard about your country. I love the little whimsical detail of the powdered sugar on the nose, as if that and the smiles it generates is better than a whole month of elaborate, ribald parading. It’s genuine.
Well done, Björn! I skipped this prompt having no connection to Mardi Gras or any of its rituals. You rocked it.
I chuckle at your depiction of “modest” Swedes, Bjorn. I suspect, nonetheless, there are stories to be told!
You have to watch out for the quiet ones my mother always said…(K)
This is very funny Bjorn, well done! I worked in the pulp and paper industry for a while…and I met quiet Swedes, but more than a few wild ones…excellent poem! JIM
Love the flowing rhythm in this, Bjorn. And that bun looks pretty tasty.