AFTER DEATH
'What does it feel like when one gets wings, when one
is dead, say, mother?'
'First your back bends, it grows broad and great.
Then it grows heavier and heavier. It is as if one carried
a mountain.
There's a shaking and breaking in ribs and backbone
and marrow.
Then it straightens up with a jerk and bears all, all.
Then one knows that one is dead now and lives in a
new form.'
Translated into English by David McDuff in "Karin Boye: Complete poems".
Swedish original
Copyright © 2005:
Translation from Swedish into English: David McDuff
Published with the permission of:
David McDuff, translation.
May and Hans Mehlin, Layout.
For more information, please visit the website of David McDuff and his own pages with the translations.