I'm back!

And in Turku, Finland! I took a break from blogging and other related activities to enjoy the holidays with my family and friends (who I already miss dearly!). I have not actually had a chance to get out into the city, as today has been a day of rest after a series of flights and long waits in airports. Tonight I will go to the city, and hopefully have some pictures available soon on my Facebook account. In the spirit of arriving in Finland, I thought I would provide a poem from a modern Finnish poet named Risto Rasa. Most of the Finnish poems I have looked at are simple and a lot shorter than poetry in the states. A lot of the modern poem I have looked are observatory and less than 5 lines. These translations were found alongside the Finnish originals at http://www.luminarium.org/. Much love!

My Best Friend

My best friend
At one time was a girl.
We tried to meet so nobody would see
And we walked someplace
Peaceful to play.
We made ranches:
From pebbles, fences and stalls,
From sticks and pinecones, cows
And lots of horses;
We were going to be horse ranchers in the West.
We returned home by different routes,
I casually rejoining the other boys
To play boys' games.
When she got glasses,
I was right there, jeering along with the others.

- Risto Rasa -