Dorthe Nors - So Much for That Winter

Elisabeth says that it’s hard to be related to Minna.

Elisabeth says that it’s getting harder and harder.

Elisabeth says that Mom and Finn are coming for the weekend.

Mom and Finn can’t stay in Potato Row.

The bench isn’t for sitting on, she says.

Elisabeth says, If Minna went to Aarhus more often.

Elisabeth says that it’d never happen if …

Minna’s rounded the corner of the dairy.

Svaneke Harbor lies before her.

The boats rock in the late-summer breeze.

Gunvor sits in the courtyard.

Minna has her backpack with her.

Minna’s sandals have nonslip soles.

Nothing’s to prevent her.

The path is clear.

Who’s going to stop her?

The sister wants to know where Minna is, and

Minna’s running.

Minna’s running down to the harbor.

Minna’s on her way south, away from Svaneke.

Elisabeth says, Answer me! Where?

Minna says, I’m on my way to Årsdale.

Elisabeth doesn’t know where Årsdale is.

Årsdale’s in North Jutland, Minna says.

Årsdale’s a little place south of Aalborg.

Everybody knows that, Minna says.

Minna can hear that Elisabeth didn’t know that.

Minna can hear her sister’s disbelief, but

Minna’s positive, and now the connection’s breaking up.

The connection crackles and hisses.

The connection gets so bad that Minna disappears.

Minna disappears.

Minna’s feet take wing.

Minna’s an instance of female buoyancy and helium.

The rock’s flat and sloping.

The rock’s wet at the base.

The sun hangs heavy as a plum.

The sea’s blue-black.

Minna’s observed:

The Bay of Aarhus is a fresh blue plain.

The Sound’s a bottle-green river, but

The Baltic’s black and greasy.

Minna’s taken off her sundress.

Minna’s smeared herself with SPF 20.

Minna stands with her toes so that they get wet.

Minna wants to rock-bathe, but

The sea grass waves under the surface.

The bladder wrack has lashed itself fast.

The rock looks like a woman’s sex under the surface.

Minna isn’t really sure and glances behind her.

Minna had to clamber to get here.

Minna had to crawl and injure herself.

Minna had to rest en route.

Minna was in flight of course, but

Minna isn’t thinking about Gunvor anymore.

Minna stares at the sea.

Minna sees the darkness shift downward.

The darkness is deep on deep.

The loneliness profound.

Minna’s got plenty of time.

Minna doesn’t have to throw herself in.

The sky’s vaulting.

The clouds assume their positions.

Minna’s belly swells.

Something trickles.

Something else slides.

Minna lays her hands upon her midriff.

Minna inhales deep into her lungs.

Minna tilts back her neck.

Minna makes her mouth round, and then it arrives:

Minna sings a song in Latin.

Minna sings it with all that should’ve been.

Minna doesn’t pull her punches:

Sed eligo quod video

Collum iugo prebeo;

Ad iugum tamen

Suave suave transeo.

The song feels like an incantation.

Latin has a menacing effect.

The words are like holy water.

The pelvis swaying.

The arms floating.

The feet stomping.

Minna chanting.

The sea licking her toes.

The song begins anew.

The song presses its way out again and again.

Minna senses the water’s presence at her feet.

Minna thinks it’s just grand getting cold feet.

Minna raises her voice as loud as it’ll go.

The voice’ll go very loud.

The voice can go maybe just loud enough too.

Minna wants to take a step backward.

The rock’s slippery.

Minna’s foot slips.

Minna slips with it.

Minna’s legs rail against the sky.

Minna’s head plunges toward stone.

Minna lands badly on her skull.

The skull breaks the fall of an entire woman.

Minna slides down into the water.

Minna slides down through the seaweed.

Minna sinks like a stone.

Minna’s arms plow the water.

Minna’s eyes are open and alive.

Minna’s mouth is moist and round.

The sea feels like sweet chill.

The Baltic is a bowl.

The Baltic’s a submarine valley.

Beauty won’t deny itself.

The fish scoot off in gleaming procession.

The fish turn and pivot for Minna.

The scales glitter.

The eyes shine silver.

Minna reverts downward.

Minna wriggles her arms.

Minna waves to the darkness.

The darkness waves back.

Minna sees a gestalt in the darkness.

The gestalt has a beard.

The gestalt’s mouth is a soft wet brushstroke.

Chest hair forces its way upward.

The beard wanders downward away from its chin.

An Adam’s apple lies in the middle of the hair.

Dad? Minna thinks.

Dad waves.

Dad takes hold of Minna.

The fauna closes around them.

Bubbles seep from nose and mouth.

Hair flutters like sea grass.

Minna’s pelvis has never been so round.

Minna’s legs fuse and articulate.

Dad smiles at Minna.

Dad swims around Minna.

Minna says, Helgenæs?

Minna gets water in her mouth.

Minna gets a lot of water in her mouth.

Minna’s lungs squeeze.

The lungs stretch.

The lungs are hard as cement.

The lungs don’t want anything but to go upward.

Minna could happily continue downward, but

Minna’s lungs want to go up.

Minna’s bruised skull like a cork.

Minna’s skull directional.

Minna’s arms wretched fins.

Minna’s legs kick and thrash.

The legs strike bedrock.

Minna’s hands strike granite.

The rocks close around Minna.

Minna grasps the seaweed strands.

Minna grabs hold of Bornholm from below.

Minna throws up her arms in late-summerness.

Minna scrabbles on stone.

Minna searches for a chink.

Minna contracts like a muscle before it explodes.

Minna clings to dry land, angry and insecure.

Minna’s tongue feels cold as bronze.

The sun acting up.

The corneas drying out.

Minna hauls herself farther up, and then she lies there.

Minna has rock-bathed.

Minna’s been down and out.

Minna’s toes plash in the surface of the ocean.

The rest of Minna has been decently salvaged.

Minna’s world stands still.

Minna thinks of Dad in the water.

Minna thinks of her head.

Minna’s head was apparently injured a bit.

The head hurting.

The mouth spitting.

Snot running.

The sun and the gulls having a look-see.

Minna lies with eyes shut.

Minna lies and listens.

Something rustles.

Minna raises her eyes, and there stand a pair of rubber shoes.

The shoes sit on a pair of feet.

The shoes shuffle uncertainly.

Hair pokes well out from the ankles.

A man has come to Minna’s rescue.

Minna can’t be bothered.

Minna’s not going to be rescued now.

Minna’s rescued herself.

Minna props herself up on an elbow: Yes?

The man asks, Are you okay?

Minna says, I’ve been in the water.

The man hunkers down: On purpose?

Minna says, Not completely.

The man wants to know if he should call for an ambulance.

Minna places her hands on the rock.

Minna raises herself a bit to sit.

Minna can see the man better now.

The man’s plump.