All text taken from The Summer Book by Tove Jansson.
I wanted to make a poem about Donimo from The Summer Book, it being a favourite book for both of us. I was quite amazed when I reread it how many words and phrases jumped out at me and spoke to me about Domino – her life, illness and death. Tove has done so much of the work here for me, and it kind of fell together. Some phrases were just so perfect, it has made me appreciate the book and it’s author in a deeper way – her wisdom, empathy and creative expression. I feel this poem is a collaboration between three queer women: Tove, Donimo and myself. (Audio version of poem at end of this post)
“My dear old friend,” like an apricot from Paradise.
his eyes were blue a lean and wild little animal,
they’re good climbers and never fall a lot of ape in them
her hair was so beautiful it took your breath away
“Something elegant and unusual, “ Which ended in a tiny but spirited curve.
she had a weakness for extravagance. being just a bit sentimental,
She hated violet, somewhat obstinate, and friendly
Wise as she was, She was right. She really listened
she studied everything around her: adored
can stand up to the heaviest seas. Great ocean waves
The girls never forgot what good times they had had, and they often
with rising and falling waves of ecstasy and summer.
she thought it wouldn’t hurt them to be exposed to a little culture
the memories they shared, bloody good
She wasn’t feeling well It was a great strain on her over the years.
She took a firm grip on her walking stick and stumbled on against the wind.
It was important for her not to stand up too quickly, so she had time to watch
under the alder trees. one leaf was free to move in the wind.
she’s pretty worn out.” You look awful. “ go to bed the days passed
The wallpaper was very pretty. Sometimes one heard a strain of music
The scrap of bark was beautiful and dramatic. It rested above it’s shadow
still too good to be thrown away
And the balance between survival and extinction was so delicate that even the smallest change was unthinkable
Whatever you do, it’s just as bad, so pale you could hardly and never slept
She was dizzy and not feeling well; began to shake Her stiff legs
arching and twisting and burn and started having nightmares.
a long thin neck The taut white rib in the middle a crevice of darkness.
“ It’s bloody awful, do you hear me? “ but no one gave it a second thought.
and it was far more dangerous than death.
You can’t depend on people who just let things happen they circled around
Its whole body shook with mixed feelings. she would have had a dream about black birds. “
How can I ever leave this room? she thought. She was very tired, and wanted to get home
Not right away, but little by little and incidentally, things begin to shift position
I’ve seen and lived as hard as I could, and it’s been unbelievable, I tell you, unbelievable. But now I have the feeling everything’s gliding away from me,
Are you afraid? “ I don’t have the strength to go on loving
wrapped her arms around her head and wept beneath the weight of the catastrophe
The fire was still burning the disintegrating house And you have to go
You won’t be sad now, will you? “ “I don’t have time to stay here with you –
“You go on loving, “ anchoring
you’re not allowed to go to sleep, “ “Don’t say anything. Don’t say anything to me. “
There are no stars yet, just darkness. overwhelm Sophia and she screamed with grief.
was to lie there on an air mattress and enjoy herself. it’s holy
from now on life would be quite different,
I can’t find the words, The details don’t really matter. “You love harder and harder. “
“I don’t feel good either, “she screamed, “ I want to go too,” and everyone said goodbye.
There’s no need to feel sorry for the flowers, “I didn’t realise I was so important.
It was a windless night, yet she could hear the sea. Sound of migratory birds in flight
on the way down he remembers to pick some flowers,
I don’t have to see it so nothing changed. She had only moved a little.
like some soft grass that would never rise up again.
and the night became utterly serene. shiny black earth,
The full moon was shining in a dark blue sky tinged with real gold
it was blue “It’s quite calm. “
breathless, like the silence after an explosion or a scream
Bird-cherry and all the petals would fall feathers.
and glide away, “ and the moon was By and by,
The day before the great event, they gathered and wept.
They picked out stones little canyon cut through the rock
It will soon be uninhabited.
They helped each other climb out. sat down near the water
now someone was going to die before the moon set,
she noticed for the first time what the ground felt like under her toes and the soles of her feet.
wide awake. Thrown wide open,
she lay down on the bed and closed her eyes.
they lay close together. with soft, smooth round stones
on the broad, unprecedented road, which was suddenly very quiet
We had a wonderful time, on your deathbed
whole being radiated calm she was almost elated.
She ran towards it and was embraced by the wind.
and there was no cause for alarm.
“That’s not the end at all, “
I think about him all the time!” but nothing was simply lost.
But what are we supposed to do? Write:
Lie around on the rocks for a long time and breathe air, a bit of tree moss, a piece of fern
huge boulders that had lain in their moss for a thousand years,
their steady call, distant and melodious
and sort through it to find what’s for you.
a big stone. watercolours and gold. it was blue