Hey all you Pretzel-and-Bullfighters out there. Today we have a special treat from Sweden- Bjorn Rudbergs. Can you believe he speaks Swedish, yet writes such beautiful poetry in English? Let’s start with two poems never shared before at dVerse; a haiku which Bjorn says, “builds on an autumn kigo of dragonfly” and a triolet he wrote at summer solstice.
illusions –
like dewdrops captured
on wings of dragonfly
**
at summer solstice dance with me
like children of the sun, my dear
put flowers in your hair & see
at summer solstice dance with me
forget the dark part of the year
& nevermore in darkness fear
at summer solstice dance with me
like children of the sun, my dear!
**
Do you find it difficult to write poetry in English, because you do it so well, I thought it had to be your primary language?
To some extent I find it easier (I have only tried writing a few poems in Swedish)… there are some natural inhibitions I seem to have to be poetic in my mother tongue. At my workplace we mostly speak English and everything I write is in English. But there are moments when I lack the proper tools to express myself.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I graduated in Physics and also took a PhD. After that, I left academics and started working with more applied research, and later also into business. For a physicist that is the same as going to the dark side.
How long have you been writing poetry?
I have never been really interested in poetry until a few years ago when I started with Twitter. I wrote a few haiku (well some tweets inspired in 575 syllable in reality). I quickly got into several word-of-the-day games, and sometimes I responded with poetry.
The poetry I have read was then limited to what I read in school which was mostly Swedish poets such as Hjalmar Gullberg, Karin Boye and Harry Martinsson. To be honest I didn’t really understand what poetry was all about.
As I started to write metered poetry on Twitter, quatrains in tetrameter fits quite well in a tweet as a matter of fact.
In one of the word games, there was a challenge to write a sonnet on biffy (meaning outhouse) and I accepted this and sat a whole Friday night writing my first sonnet (http://brudberg.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/hello-world/).
At about the same time, I was invited to write collaborative poetry with some friends in Twitter. This got me started in starting a blog.
Gradually I started to use different prompts to get inspiration. I saw dVerse quite early, but it took me a while until I dared to knock at the door at the bar. But all in all I’m to a large extent a poetry novice.
Do you have a favorite kind of poetry?
I’m quite sensitive to the rhythm of verse. I usually strive for a simple beat, and even when I write free-verse I usually end up writing it quite metered. I love to find inspiration in forms and actually think it gives me the freedom I need to write most often.
You are very good at form poetry. Maybe that’s your analytic side coming out. When I first started writing I stuck to form and rhyme because I felt like it gave me some parameters, and that was comforting. I do find free verse more challenging. Some poets think opposite.
Yes I find forms easier to do. When I write free, I still have to create a form in my head to get the rhythm. Also the rhymes sometimes help me drive a story forward.
Here’s one of Bjorn’s villanelles I chose to share. He told me it was one of the first villanelles he’s written. I think he’s a natural. Don’t you agree?
Before the Tears
by Bjorn Rudbergs
once I lived without my tears
a joyous life I shared with you
it was before the bad affairs
around the world among the pairs
we were exclusive happy few
once I lived without my tears
we planned a life of many years
and were delighted to be two
it was before the bad affairs
it started when we bought some shares
at first we cheered as values grew
once I lived without my tears
we had success in our careers
and never knew the bank was due
it was before the bad affairs
I never had financial fears
before you left without adieu
once I lived without my tears
it was before the bad affairs
—
February 27, 2013
**
Do you find yourself using recurring themes in your writing?
Sometimes in my poetry I think it’s quite obvious that I love to spend my vacations outdoors, often in the north of Sweden where we have mountains. These areas are situated north of the Arctic Circle, which means a lot of daylight and wilderness without any type of coverage. My wife and I share the same interest and we always do these hikes (with or without skis) together. We have no kids and live in a house right outside Stockholm.
How much time do you spend on poetry?
Currently I spend about 2-3 hours per day. Reading and commenting take the most time. I would like to have some time to read published poetry too, but currently I think I learn a lot when communicating directly with the poets.
What is your favorite aspect of community sharing such as on Twitter and at dVerse?
When I started doing Twitter it was interesting to see how well you connected with people just through those short messages. These are people who have become friends, and even though I have never met them, it’s people that you learn to trust. I have only met a few face to face, but it’s amazing how well you can actually feel trust for someone who you have only met online. I think the best word I can describe it with is closeness.
Do you have any long-term goals, such as publishing a chapbook?
I had never thought about a goal with my poetry until recently. To some extent I think that is what I like the best with writing online is to have no goal. Our world today is filled with goals, and to publish anything would to some extent remove some of the closeness I feel with readers when I write a blog. I have actually started thinking about it, but then I’m caught up in all these complicated rules. It’s not easy if you want to publish in English writing in Swedish. Publishing seems to be one of the areas where we have no globalization at all. As a matter of fact I can’t even buy most of the eBooks that my fellow writers have published.
What else interests you (besides poetry and hiking)?
My work takes up a lot of the time besides poetry. But my wife and I share a keen interest in music. We have season tickets to the Stockholm Symphony Orchestra, and also try to go to festivals and concerts at regular intervals. Actually I think my music interest might have pulled me into poetry. I also have a general interest in photography, and should probably use my photos more in my blog.
Poetry, music, photography… I’m right there with you. I hope you decide to share some of your photos on your blog. I’m looking forward to what’s next for you, Bjorn! Thanks so much for spending time with us today.
Follow Bjorn on Twitter here.
Visit his blog here.
If you have questions for Bjorn, please leave them in the comments below. Until next time, happy poeming!
oh nice… very cool to see björn spotlighted today… cool on all the outdoor activities and cool on the season tickets to the Stockholm Symphony Orchestra as well.. you def. have a very good feel for rhythm which becomes very visible in your form poetry but you also manage to keep a steady beat in your free form as well… beautiful landscape.. you know… since i saw pippi longstocking on tv when i was kid i wanted to live in a red house with a porch and a horse on it of course…ha… never made it to sweden so far… smiles.. happy monday everyone…
And all those red houses exist on the country-side. Many many Swedes are lucky enough to have a summer house somewhere. and most of them are red painted.
Very nice to see this interview 🙂 and those kind words
Your words are better… but thanks.
Yes, thanks Laurie for interviewing Björn and allowing us to know him better and Björn for accepting to be in the spotlight for us!
Hi Bjorn, sorry I am ‘late to the party’ over at Pretzels and Bullfights. I had a lot going on yesterday and somehow didn’t get here to check who / what was featured. I enjoyed learning more about you. I find it amazing that you have been writing poetry for such a short time. You have perfected the writing of many forms, and I do admire that….especially because it is in a second language. You DO spend an amazing amount of time on poetry (as I do some days). It becomes an addiction, doesn’t it? Anyway…sorry I was not here yesterday to support the interview, but here I am. Better late than never!! Smiles.
It does.. And keeping up with my twitter poetry.. yes lots of time.
I really enjoyed reading this interview with Bjorn, and thanks for sharing your poems with us. I also struggle with form & rhyme vs. free verse, I like both, yet can’t decide which is easier. Depends on so many outside factors. What I was most encouraged by is the fact that you put into words many of the things that I have been discovering and feeling about this whole new journey into poetry, which I have only begun in earnest now that I am 41.
How nice to see a fellow struggler in this. Definitely a rewarding journey. I write fiction also, and I can see how my poetry has affected my feeling for prose.
Hi Björn!
Great to see you here today. Loved getting to know you better. I really enjoy your poetry and it is obvious that you strive to be excellent at whatever you put your hand to.
I can identify with the fact that it is easier to write in English, English being the daily language of use at work and at home. However, there are thoughts that can only manifest itself in Malay for me which I can’t express in English.
Cheers Björn – so glad you are part of the dVerse community!
Oh yes. there are those thoughts … but it must be much harder from Malay.. after all English and Swedish are quite closely related languages…
how cool. you know, if we knew each other IRL bjorn, i think we would be friends…ha..i love the outdoors….
.its funny that you write forms or put it in a form to find the rhythm….i am just the opposite…its in free verse i find my rhythm
That would be great.. we have plenty here in Sweden. Lots of wilderness up in Northern Sweden… two periods are great. March-April and July-August. The others are a little bit more unreliable.
Thank you for the Bjorn legacy…interview. He was one of the first twitter poets I latched onto. He led me to other venues including dVerse. His background is fascinating and he seems such a warm caring person. I love his perspective on life and am always in awe of his poetry forms. I’m free verse primarily so we are such different thinkers. Maybe that’s what makes following him so interesting. Didn’t realize he was Dr. until now. Great photos of him in his natural habitat. Mine would be a tropical beach.
haha… the Bjorn legacy… that’s cute
Maggie – I so remember how our paths have crossed.. You have a unique way of sharing of yourself, and as you say, we think so different. Which I enjoy so much.
You do such a great interview, Laurie–and Bjorn offers so much. I’m glad you chose him and happy to know more about him. I enjoy seeing the blend of science and the art of poetry in his background and work. I can see how a background in physics lends itself to metered poetry–a melange of left/right brain. Thanks for sharing, Bjorn (in this interview and in your on-going participation on dVerse).
Thanks, Victoria.
I have wondered myself if the physics and math background have anything to do with it.. But I rarely sit and count syllables.. It just comes out in meter.
It was a pleasure to work with you Bjorn… thank you!
Fun to be interviewed Laurie 😉
Such a nice cheery interview, Laurie, thank you for introducing us to the real Bjorn.
I loved the action shots and want to ask Bjorn a trivial question: are those shoes waterproof? You seemed so ready to traverse the river and having wet feet for the rest of your walk can’t have been pleasant.
Also want to say that I appreciate your kind comments on our poems. You always take the trouble to stop by and say hello and leave a nice remark.
You are very welcome, Aprille.
now, crossing rivers I do in shoes that get all wet. I carry my boots while fording. It can be a little cold if it’s glacier water 😉
Ah…I had hoped that you had fond the perfect shoes that stay dry in water 🙂
Bjorn, and Laurie,
a delightful interview…for me the conversation, even in print, seemed to flow and have rhythm. I enjoyed learning more about Bjorn as a person and his experiences as a poet. I always thought of him as “the expert” !
Peace,
Siggi
Glad you enjoyed it!
Your poetry has always been such joy, I’m still a mere beginner though.
Great interview! Enjoyed getting to know Bjorn better. 🙂
Thank you 😉 it was fun to tell a little bit of myself
Thank you for the lovely interview Laurie ~ I too enjoyed getting to know Bjorn & his journey into poetry ~ I am actually amaze that you can write to form as it took me some time to adjust to writing in form ~ I think its great that you and your wife share the passion & love for the outdoors, I am envious ~
Thanks, Grace.
And I’m amazed on all the poetry I find here at dVerse. I think we connected the first time at Haiku Heights 😉
What a terrific peek into the Bjorn Legacy. You seem to have found your place at the dVerse poetry table quickly & completely. You are def one of the (international) poets that hang around the Pub ( & of course, you’ve hosted it as well ) that I have had the privilege of connecting with. Our fellowship every week is very meaningful. The reciprocity & warmth here at dVerse is genuine; nothing forced, nothing faked.
So cool to find out more about you, brother. As good of a poet are you are, it is hard to fathom that your career as writer of poetics only spans a couple of years; something just blossomed within you, I guess, and the creativity seems to be perennial. Like Brian, I find the most dynamic rhythms come when the net is down, and the words run bra-less & bare ass, but I def have, & still do, enjoy working hard at writing classic forms for #FFA & #MTB. I have commented incessantly over at your blog about how cool it is that you seem to meet every challenge, every prompt, & still keep the poetry within specific form parameters.
You are like the Swedish cousin I never had, and I love being in your family.
Cousin – that’s great 😉 I’m always amazed on your writing from the Wild West – and films connections . So great to know you too Glenn
Laurie, another winner boffo interview by you. dVerse is so fortunate that you are willing to conduct these interviews; your inquiries always set up & insure successful & interesting insights & sharing.
You are so kind, Glenn.
A wonderful interview and insight into BR as I nick-name him (sorry Bjorn). My free verse is so free there is usually no rhythm 🙂 writing to form, perhaps one day, but we all write differently and that’s what’s so amazing about getting to know the writers and their works through DV and WP. Thank you both for a lovely interview, your poetry that you shared, the questions asked and the photos.
So first I must say that I find lots of rhythm in your poetry.. And I still recall the poem you sung — that I would never dare 😉
Oh goodness the Irish song..this didn’t go unnoticed? 😦 See I truly am oblivious that there is rhythm – so I thank you very much for saying that 🙂
I so enjoyed your interview Laurie and Bjorn! It is nice to get to know you and the inspiration in your world. I can see how it transfers to your beautiful verse~
The images I carry with me from my vacations are a great inspiration
I heartily agree with Bjorn that even free verse needs some kind of rhythm – and yes, I think that connects with your musicality. I found myself nodding “yes” all through this interesting interview. Keep ’em coming!
I connect very much to the way you write poetry.. The form side, but also how the free verse is written.. Rhythm is all for me.. Just talked to a friend who has a band.. Maybe I go into write song-lyrics.
You will be very good as a lyricist.
Thankyou for being soo interesting Bjorn… one has to live the life and have passions… you definitely do. I am very new and find inspiration and knowledge at dVerse. Cheers Max
Thank you – we have a lot in common as poets
such a great post…very interesting.
======================================== Message Received: Oct 07 2013, 08:01 PM
Thank you 😉
I always love reading interviews (nice job Laurie) and getting to know more about the poets. It would be great if you added more of your personal photography to your poetry. Cameras and I do not mix well, either in front or behind one! Thanks for taking the time to do the interview.
Your welcome, Debi!
I always try to include a picture.. But often I try to use art instead at the moment.. We’ll see
I find your posts very interesting and also thought your primary language was English. Thank you for sharing a bit of your life with us. Just love the pictures on your site. And I am glad you have a travel partner that makes everything so very interesting and safe.
Onward hope to read more of your writes soon.
thank you.. I hope to be sharing other things going forward.. I thought maybe poetry recipes – cooking is quite fun too
Lovely to be introduced properly to you, Bjorn. I can certainly see the love of the great outdoors in your poetry! There is something about the frozen north and the delight of the all-too-brief summer which works well, somehow, with shorter verse forms and with ballads. You seem to be working a little in that tradition, although of course you are more than the product of your culture.
I love short poetry… But I have written a few sestinas as well.. Sometimes it’s more a matter of time constraints 😉
Bjorn – firstly you love north and mountains. That is awesome. Second I want to see more of your photos! Really! It was great getting to know you better.
I will try to include more of my photos — a great thing to do..
Oh, too brief, too brief!
Laurie this is so good and makes me want to know more!
Bjorn, I found most interesting your entry into poetry from twitter. I tweeted once, but lost interest, never seeing the possibilities. The only one I see at dVerse, is getting the prompt and posting sooner than others. Maybe it helps with using fewer words? I enjoy your poetic perspective on your blog, and especially like the haiku and triolet above. Your comments on my poems are insightful.
And here are more questions to answer or not as you please: In what ways do your work and physics and poetry intersect? What is your favorite music? Do you have a picture with your wife on a hike or at home that you would share? When can we see the Northern photos that are your hobby?
Thanks, Susan.
Oh nice questions. The reason I don’t show my wife on picture is that she prefers if I don’t.. I’ll do some more posts with photos from the far north.. When it comes to intersection between my work and poetry I think it’s minimal.. I have made a few poem with physics connection.. Maybe I’ll do more some day.
I love all kinds of music. Rock Music, some country.. And classics by for instance Mahler or Shostakovich 🙂
It’s so lovely to learn a bit more about you, Bjorn. I really enjoy reading your poetry on your blog and in Twitter, and it feels to me as if you have a voice, which I like to think I would recognise quite easily now. It’s heartening to me as a very new poetry dabbler that you have come relatively recently to this form of creativity.
I’m looking forward to reading more if your pieces!
Thank you.. And it’s so encouraging to see all the new poets coming into the circle.. Your poetry touches certain nerves with your father.. Really I always try to pass by.
You’re welcome – and thank you.
Hi Laurie, logging on ready for tonight – but a belated thank you for this feature on Bjorn. Its great now to be able to view and read his work with a fuller context of knowing a bit more about the man himself… Excellent!
Regards Scott http://www.scotthastie.com
Thanks for stopping by, Scott.
Thank you Scott 😉
Thank you, and I find all connections to Sweden you have quite fascinating – hope next time you pass Sweden we get more time..
I am late to the party here. I had a lot going on yesterday and had not visited Pretzels and Bullfights until just right now. Wonderful interview, Laurie. Your questions really helped me know much more about Bjorn….a poet whose works I greatly enjoy!!
You can never be too late…
Björm, the way you started writing tweets and now are a fully committed poet is quite fascinating and encouraging. I always enjoy your poems, especially when there is a link to Sweden and I appreciate the beautiful paintings you provide as illustrations.
Thank you, and I find all connections to Sweden you have quite fascinating – hope next time you pass Sweden we get more time..
Thank you! I hope we do too Björn.
As someone new to dVerse it was great to read about the guy behind the poems I’ve been reading. I love to know about the person behind the creativity whether it’s art, photography, poetry, writing or any other outlet. Inspiring.
Ans someone relatively new as well.. I heard a request for more photos.
Good to see the spotlight on Bjorn! I have always admired your skill in fitting in your thoughts in a meter and an effortless rhyme!! Glad to be connected here!
Thank you Akila –love to have you visiting…