JanOskarHansen

Remember Seville

We used to drink bubbly white wine,

when slightly drunk and in the mood

we made passionate love.

She went up to Lisbon, a new job,

came back after a year, didn't like

Lisbon, she said.

We took up where we had left off,

but something had changed

the river we swam in was hazy and

no rainbow trout waked at dawn.

Let's go to Seville, she said; we did and

prayed in every church for a cure from

an illness that has no real name.

Late at night we ended up in

a Tapa bar where she saw herself

as a female toreador with the blood

of defeated men on her hands

But unforgiving mirror told another

story When I awoke she had gone

out, found her in a café drinking brandy

with those who fear daylight;

she had given up this unfair fight against

an illness that has no real name.

Moon and Finland

Over Finland the half moon peeved,

Growing pain, it shed tears of silver;

Thousand lakes in dignified forests

Smiled and on shore pebbles sighed.

If she looks out she will see ice roses

That only bloom in argent light, but

Only if she smiles thinks of me when

The moon is full.

The Great Domestic Escape

Balancing on my toes I reached the door handle
only to find it locked, with the key on the outside.
Tried to get up on the window sill, to see if it was
raining, by using the curtain as a rope, the railing
broke, nearly drowned under cotton and dust.
In the kitchen four cute mice danced around a pink
gateau they refused to share with me. Had a tin of
rice pudding but, no opener, threw it savagely on
the floor and it rolled through the cat-flap, tried
to squeeze through it too, got stuck; thrashed about
the door opened, it wasn't locked after all. Hungry,
I ate stale sunrays left on the floor since yesterday.
Outside the night came rolling down the hill, ran in
closed and leaned against the door, put my foot on
the flap when darkness tried to squeeze through it.
Decided to wait till morning before escaping again.

jan oskar hansen is a Norwegian poet living in Portugal.

Work published by Jan Oskar Hansen

A Hudson view (skyline magazine)
Skyline                        "
Skald                    Wales
The rue Bella        England
The Bards                  "
War is a dangerous place (Atlantean publishing)
Collections:
"Letters from Portugal" Bewrite
"Lunch In Denmark "Pabd"
"A cherry tree and a Dog" "Pabd"
Anthologies:
"Shaken & Stirred"                          Bewrite
"Roots"                                                  "
"Peoplespoet 2"                                Paula Publishing
"Listening to the birth of crystal"              "
"Contemporary poetry"                      Bluechrome

Latest poetry collection, "La Strada", published by Lapwing, Belfast

And many more ezines and magazines