Edith Södergran in London tube

by arjamatkalla

This blog starts in the tube, below the famous streets of London. Namely, in order to begin this blog with something I went to the internet and googled for poems about London. Found out there is a poem introduced in the tube of London every day – and guess what: today’s poet is a famous poet from Finland, late Edith Södergran who wrote in Swedish but lived in Finland.

Here’s the poem of today. Enjoy it in English translation by Herbert Lomas.

This blog will activate in the near future, in May at the latest. Until then, take care! Arja

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Poem for the day

Hope

I want to let go –
so I don’t give a damn about fine writing,
I’m rolling my sleeves up.
The dough’s rising …
Oh what a shame
I can’t bake cathedrals …
that sublimity of style
I’ve always yearned for …
Child of our time –
haven’t you found the right shell for your soul?
Before I die I shall
bake a cathedral.

Edith Sodergran (1892 – 1923)
translated by Herbert Lomas

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