Jon Fosse lives in Norway. He is the author of many plays, many novels, essays and some few poems.

 

A face comes into being

A face comes into being
over sea
mountain
hills a face comes into being
with clouds and wind in hair a face comes into being
great as any sky
and the face peers at us with star eyes
as we sit in our homes
our boats
not seeing
the great face
we are a part of
the great face that is us
in us
the great face bending down
towards us
breathing its wind
into us
and we breathe and breathe
the great face
understanding
never seeing

 

Island

An island emerges from the great twilight
walking towards us
formidable in its movements
though serene
serene and proud
as only an island
as old as she
can be
she gazes at us
mulling things over
then comes to a standstill
utterly silent
she stands as silent
as only an island
can be silent

 

Silent Wind

a wind will pass throughout life
breathing in silent motions

he says there is a silence
open to you and to me

he says there is a fear
that doesn’t make us fearful

he says there is a fate
and the fate is silence

he says he is our silence
and that he is our fate

 

Her Movements

and she brings out her hands
to straighten out reality
a bit
as much as she is able
makes reality a bit better
that’s how she keeps on
minute by minute
her hands are tired
but she never gives in
she just keeps on
holding them out
and even when she puts her hands down
slumbering reposing
and is gone
forever gone
her movements keep on

 

Angel and Star

a blue day proclaims its arrival
and the day’s angel
waves you over to it
with both of its hands

you twirl around and see that a star
is lifting both of its hands
to wave you goodbye

 

Copyright © Jon Fosse. Translation copyright © TCR