About

I write poetry and short stories. It all started when I started with twitter, and I got interested in haiku and very short stories (vss). As time grew I have also become interested in other metrics (limericks, tanka, iambic poetry etc). I started this blog to get beyond the 140 character limit. I am physicist by education, but have left that trade in pursuit of more business oriented matters.

In my poetry I often to be restricted to formal metric with clear rhythm and/or rhymes as applicable. Also I prefer to have challenge in terms of a picture or other prompt. I find inspiration in the words themselves, and combining with pictures. All my writings here is in English, which is my second language, so please be patient with some of my little language quirks. My first language is Swedish, and I live outside Stockholm.

If you want to learn more I was interviewed by Sherry Marr at Poets United a while ago.

159 responses to “About”

  1. I would have never known English was your second language. And why don’t you ever write free verse?

  4. Hey, English is my second language too, I have entered some contests in the past and always got written off on grammar use. No matter haw hard we practice huh?! GL!

      • The Dutch are famous for messing up English in the worst ways (after Germans), but I was lucky to live in the US for a year and get my TESOL degree there. This helps, a lot! When in doubt I always wiki grammar rules.

      • Perhaps when we speak, but not when we write, or maybe the other way around. I don’t honestly know but I do know that most of the time when I hear Dutch celebrities or politicians speak, I am ashamed of my folk!

  6. I write poetry, too, and prefer to have a form as well. I am amazed that you see to write with such ease in your second language! Reminds me of Joseph Conrad, who had such a seemingly intuitive understanding of English.

      • that is fine, many don’t do anything with it. It is just to show how much I enjoy your blog. You can do with it what you will. No problem.

  9. You visited my blog and that led me here.
    I really like your writing especially the poetry which I have always difficult. I look forward to reading more.
    Dee

  10. Can you hear the applause over there in Sweden?! To be able to write form poetry when English is your second language is amazing to me. I have enough problem with it and I’ve been speaking it for over 60 years. Bravo!

    • Thank you Victoria, I started a year ago to write limericks on twitter.. and then I have progressed. The daily rhymes I write there is excellent to progress quickly. And there are excellent online dictionaries to help. The most advanced I have written so far are two sestinas,,, that took several days.

  11. I used to just write structured poetry, but have sense (over time) become more comfortable with free verse. I still love form poetry though.

    • Slowly slowly I am releasing the security blanket of form. At the same time there are so many old forms out there… The iambic forms add so much variations.

  12. I have nominated your blog for the very inspiring blog award.The rules for accepting this award are:

    You need to display the award certificate on your website.
    Announce your win with a post and include a link to whoever presented your award.

    Select 15 deserving bloggers.
    display the blog’s name on your post that nominated you
    notify each blogger you selected
    Post 7 interesting facts about yourself

      • Not a problem , however I would like to know if your decision has anything to do with myself or my blog. I like feedback as this is important . In any case I respect your decision. Merry Christmas

      • None at all, I appreciate the nomination and your blog. I love the comments on entries and leave my own pretty often. Merry Cristmas 🙂

  14. Hi I share your interest in form. I’ve been experimenting with varying metres and rhyme schemes, particulalry Welsh. My interest in form comes from my need for a structure for my crazy thoughts. I’m looking forward to reading your poems.

      • ‘A Horseman’ is a sonnet. ‘The Devourer of Souls’ is a sestina. ‘Cotton Hill’ is written in a Welsh metre I can’t remember off the top of my head, and I’ve experimenting with ‘celtic knotwork’ schemes of internal rhyme.

  19. Thank you for following my blog. I too love form poetry and short fiction, but I have been known to splurge into free verse as well!
    But as you say, even free verse needs a certain structure, musicality and rhythm. I also love word play, which is sometimes a problem in a second language. I also write poetry in French, which is my second language.

  21. My first love of writing is poetry. But since I got involved on the ‘net’ I’ve discovered other unique prompts and forms. Thanks for stopping by my first 100 word prompt for Friday Fictioneers.

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  23. Hi Bjorn, thanks for dropping by and “liking” my first Friday Fictioneer story “Thunder”. I hope you’ll enjoy future ones too 🙂

  25. Hiya!
    Bjorn, I’m not sure if you’ve been nominated already – and if you have, here we go again! – but if not, consider yourself nominated by me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. It’s to recognize others who consistently write great posts that the nominator looks forward to reading. My blog has my acceptance entry and the details…and congrats!

  27. Hello friend! Yes, it’s ‘that’ time. I’m just following and passing along: You have been nominated for the “Very Inspiring Blogger Award.” Please view my page to accept and take part in this fun award. *hugs* 😀

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  33. Very interesting Bjorn. Being a physicist (you not me) I can fully understand your need for and love of formal metric and rhyming in your poems. Except for my utilization of the Japanese forms of poetry, I am all free form. Even when writing haiku I prefer to write without the 5-7-5 method.

  37. I’m always so happy when browsing through the poetry topic of my reader I come across a very special writer and I believe it has happened today Iin finding your work. I think the writing I have seen so far is splendid and I look forward to following your work. 🙂

  38. I definitely understand your need for structure when it comes to poetry. Thanks for your like! I can’t wait to see what great things you have in store 🙂

  41. The beauty of poetry is it’s a language unto itself. I was an ESL teacher (English as a Second Language) in NYC and I found that most people that learned English as a 2nd language knew it better than native speakers, especially where grammar is concerned. That includes myself.

  42. I thought English could be your second language because of your name, but didn’t actually believe it, cause you may have been born anywhere or living anywhere English-speaking for the better part of your life.
    I also thought if it would be possible that you were physicist. For no particular reason, only because physics happens to be my favourite science and I happen to like your poetry. So, naturally, I united both 🙂 By that weird idea of mine you will know that I am no physicist.

    English is my second language, too. Moreover, I started writing mainly in it and sharing on the web, when I got on Twitter. There I joined some writing and poeming communities, soo… it seems we took the same way to here.

    Glad to have met you.

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  47. Thank you for commenting on my blog post for Friday Fictioneers. I admire your ability to speak more than one language. And to wrIte poetry in a second language is a gift.. I live in India but can only speak certain words in an Indian language. I’ve tried but it’s been a losing battle as I don’t have a gift for it.. Also, many people here speak English so I usually don’t need another language.

  48. Tjena! Your writing is beautiful, and particularly impressive for a second language! My Swedish is a work in progress, but I don’t think I’ll be writing poetry in it any time soon!!

  51. Hi Bjorn,

    I wanted to let you know that I think you have a fab blog and I have nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award.

    Should you wish to accept this award, please come check out my post at:
    http://101challenges1001days.wordpress.com/2014/03/23/what-a-way-to-celebrate-my-100th-post-versatile-blogger-award/
    – copy the versatile blogger icon from this post so you can insert this into your acceptance post.
    – choose 7 random facts about yourself you wish to share.
    – select 10 favourite blogs you wish to nominate for the award.
    – tell your bloggers you have nominated them for the award and add a link

    Please link back to my blog in your post, so I can check out your acceptance speech. 🙂

    Caroline
    x

  53. You write so beautifully in English. It motivates me to try harder in French as it is my second language. I am so impressed by your blog…your photos as well. Thanks so much for visiting mine too.

  54. Jen shared the Puente form that she found at your place. But Puente I found was not by you. Just wanted to say thanks for sharing another short form. I haven’t tried it yet. ~Jules

  58. Dear. Bjorn – thank you for your kind wishes and your reading of my poetry ..l I have been remiss in. getting to your blog. Your writing is stunning and I am enormously impressed with your organization and the sparkling breadth of your talent – please do submit and be published !

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  62. Beautiful website. English is my first language, Southern is my dialect. I mainly write haiku and being an engineer, am anal about it. I follow the classic rules, to a fault. I have been known to and seen shaking my head, muttering about what I call fauxku. I write free form poetry as well, but like you, there is still form. I have often said, disaster is sure to happen when on changes an old bridge from four lanes to six, so haiku is always written according to.the.rules. but again, I have much enjoyed visiting and shall again visit. Thank you so very much for liking my poem. At times, it does seem the light is slow to return. I hope you will visit again and always feel welcomed. As we say in my southern dialect, y’all come back now, y’hear? 🙂

    • Ah.. yes form for me is also the classical form of sonnets, ghazal, villanelle etc.. recently when it comes to haiku I have put much more effort on kigo, and cuttingwords than the syllable count.. but it’s a matter of taste.

      • Yes, it is. I put the emphasis as well on kigo and cutting words. I overlook an extra syllable or so as long as kigo and cutting words are there. I am more forgiving of others than myself. I am responding via tablet and for the life of me, can’t figure how to insert links. I apologize. I also do a poetry only website, Aki no Koe (voice of autumn), should you be interested. I akways read the About pages of blogs to learn more about the person. I am going to enjoy receiving posts from you.

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  67. Thanks for your help with the link. It now seems to work. Ive never been to Sweden but my partner and I learnt some swedish at university many years ago. We met a Swede in Tavira Portugal who has opened a Swedish bar ! Look forward to following your blog and you can certainly touch hearts with your poetry so the English works well! Wish I could do the same in Spanish.

  70. Very interesting and intriguing. I’m wondering if you would try out a total freewrite poem, or we could swap styles somehow and post to each other’s blogs? Be fun.

  71. I wanted to ask you a confidential question but it seems you can only be contactible publicly. I want some experienced knowledge from someone who doesn’t credit photos. I go to free image sites and can’t tell which ones are free. You use some great illustrations and I don’t know which ones you might be sued for. Please let me in on the secret! Have the rules changed? Please tell me. I’ve found some gorgeous paintings I’d like to use. nmykel@gmail.com
    nanmykel.com

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  74. Hi Bjorn! Have you ever considered ‘flashers’? When I was in ERWA, (Erotica Readers and Writers Assoc.) from 2006-2010, I learned about flashers. They are 200 word stories….not just scenes. But they could be. A more arduous form is the 100 word flashers. I learned more about writing…and verbosity….by writing flashers than I learned from anything else. It also, the carefully chosen word discipline led me into Japanese forms. I did write whole ‘books’ of flashers….picking a theme and continuing on with a dramatic story….some of them were erotic, well, most of them at that time. But it’s a great discipline.

    My best…..Jane

    • I actually do.. every week I write 100 word flashes for Friday Fictioneers.. usually great feedback and great writers… not so much erotica, but many many genres, and as you say a great discipline. You learn to create stories with all it’s elements, beginning middle end. Check it out, all my fiction tags are for that prompt…

      • I’ll do that! I used to love that discipline. Oh! 100 word flashers is like giving birth…damn hard. LOL!

        I’ll definitely tomorrow check out all your fictional tags for that prompt.

        Today, I finally put my brain in and wrote a tanka. It’s been quite a while that I have done so….and I have made violations (kigo word, etc) in the doing….but it was good to be back attempting that form again. I’ll post it on my blog.

  76. How uncanny — a fellow physicist by education and ESL individual! Your amazing, seasoned writings (to which I am an immediate fan!) are surely the light at the end of my novicehood’s tunnel.

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  78. I think flash and poetry are closely related in that they are “cool” mediums and should leave motivation/intention/meaning for the reader’s interpretation. Nice work on this one, Bjorn.

  80. I have been to Sweden- Stockholm and Almhult. Can you guess who I worked for at the time- LOL! Beautiful country. One of my dearest friends is from Sweden as well. I really enjoy reading your poetry!

  81. It is evident that you are a lifelong learner who continues to redefine himself. This is inspiring. Thanks for sharing a bit about your journey. I look forward to reading your poems.

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