Wednesday 27 April 2011

SKIR GRÖNSKA


Just three weeks ago, the sidewalks in this picture, showing the quay opposite mine, were still  covered with snow and the two willows showed naked branches, hanging hapless along trunks darkened by windy winter slush. A week ago, the first signs of green appeared and now we can witness the delicate beauty of newly budded twigs. So dear is this green marvel to us Swedes, that we even have a wording for it, "skir grönska". In English you would call it something like "delicate green", but this does not have the same flavour to it, since you are missing the Northerners´ longing for spring, so nicely encapsuled in our expression.

It is intriguing how quickly the mood is adapting to this newly seen color. Winter seems far away and you almost have the feeling that it will never come back, in this pastel world of great expectations. No hardships anymore, the world feels anew fresh and inviting! This gets me to think about a trusted German adage "Wenn die Not am Höchsten scheint, Gott der Herr die Hand uns reicht". Believe it or not, this is the text of a famous aria in the opera "Hansel and Gretel"; that notwithstanding it expresses the mood of the day: just when you are completely worn down by a loong winter, salvation comes with the first budding of trees and flowers!

Am I the only one to feel uplifted by the delicate scenery? By no means! Have a look at the second picture. It shows two workers having climbed the large crane adjacent to our apartments, which has been left standing as a memento of the busy harbor that once occupied the quays. Their task was, I trust, to clean the crane of bird droppings accumulated over the years. Suddenly, they stopped all activity, getting entrapped by admiring the glory of our early spring. It took them quite a while to tear themselves away from the scenery and get back to the task they had come to carry out.

5 comments:

kari_lantto said...

Poetry about shirkers? But, anyway, spring is the best of our seasons. Soon all the raining will start?
Kari

Eva Meyersson Milgrom said...

beautiful, you have had a too long winter
and we have had a great cool spring.
Continue to entertain us with your poetic pictures
Emil
eva

drabherb said...

What awesome pictures! To sad that winters cold hand reached back to Austria.

Hopefully spring stays till summer comes at your place!

Nice greets from the rainy Austria,
Herbert & Kelly and the rest of the Lierzer's

Ehrling Sjöberg said...

Hej Emil!
Varmt tack för Dina bilder och rader. Visst upplever man våren som ett stort under varje gång trots att man varit med om det så många gånger.
Sjön framför oss har kastat av sitt istäcke och storlommen skriker över öppna glittrande vatten: "Jag är här, jag är här, jag är här".
Sissy och jag jobbar nu tufft med röjningsarbeten så att vi även fortsättningsvis kan få njuta av sjöutsikten - svettigt och tungt men det lönar sig.
Vi önskar Dig en angenäm vår med många fotatillfällen - Ha det så bra. Bifoger ett par strofer.
Med vänliga hälsningar
Ehrling

HUMLANS HEMLIGHET

Varför gör mig humlan så lycklig
och värmer hela min själ?
Jo - hon trotsar fysikens lagar
och lyfter o flyger likväl.
Men även berättar, att livet
efter vintern kan vakna på nytt.
När allt tycks mörkt och dystert,
tänds hopp när ljuset grytt.

Emil Ems said...

How nice to get so many interesting comments on this humble post! Let's hope not, Kari! Eva, I am working at the photos from last year's trip for a book to be ready by Christmas; your comment makes me long back to those marvelous days in the Bay Area! Dear Herbert and Kelly, you live in two worlds like me, nice to see that you appreciate my pictures. And finally, Ehrling, you humble me with your poetic phrases, you really should write my blog instead of me!