denmark
Author: Glafira Soldatova
I.
Tove Ditlevsen is my mother figure
when I loiter in the streets of Copenhagen
little poppy girl
Else Marie Pade is my mother figure
when I stay in Aarhus
a little sound in a city’s body
in the mirror
I only see a fragmented body
eyes, lips, collarbones
chunks of chestnut hair
I bet Kierkegaard’s bride
always got messy hair
northern wind is severe
my second skin is min nye kjole
a dress for a child born in an empire
my third skin is my room with a view of the construction
my fourth skin is my city
kissed by Kattegat
my fifth skin is this country
where I am no local
my sixth skin is Europe
my seventh skin is the whole world
II.
motherless child
a milk-stepped kitten
kneading on some very soft objects
such as
teddy bears
blankets
rosy cheeks
soft danish sounds
touching the world’s body
as if to escape
breadcrumb trail to germany
breadcrumb trail to sweden
I can’t hear the borders of the words
when I hear danes speaking
we destroy the borders of the words
when we write poems
we refuse the borders
and slip inside foreign words
without permission
we break the waves of the speech
until we remain speechless
the wind leaves a tear
while gulls are laughing