by Edith Södergran | Translated from the Swedish by CD Eskilson
I lie on an island and sleep far from joy.
The fog rolls in and winds change,
I dream uneasy dreams about war and feasts,
and on a ship my love watches
the swallows soar but feels no longing.
Some heaviness in him cannot be moved.
He watches the ship glide toward unwilling futures,
its sharp keel cutting through an obstinate fate.
Wings carry him to land where all is in vain,
the land where empty days languish far from destiny—
Edith Södergran (1892-1923) was a Finland-Swedish poet largely credited with introducing modernism to Swedish-language poetry. Södergran’s poems stand out through their rejection of previous lyrical forms and modes, along with radical depictions of feminine embodiment that today might be recognized as genderqueer. She released four collections during her lifetime though her poetry was largely ridiculed by critics. She died of chronic tuberculosis at age 31 receiving little positive recognition. However, her impact on Swedish poetry since has become monumental, and today she is remembered as one of the greatest modern poets in Scandinavian literature.
CD Eskilson is a trans nonbinary poet, editor, and translator. They are a recipient of the C.D. Wright/Academy of American Poets Prize, as well as a Best of the Net, Best New Poets, and Pushcart Prize nominee. Their debut poetry collection, Scream / Queen, is out now from Acre Books.