yesterday I thought about Oehlenschläger
who revealed to the world
this corner of the earth which smiles for Us
more than any other
when asked he said
it is a lovely country
which stands with broad beech
near salty eastern beach
It winds itself in hill, valley,
it’s called old Denmark
and it is Freja’s hall
Andersen too
who said
from there my world starts
oh Danish language
you’re the voice of my mother
you reach my heart so sweetly blessed
like tempered wine
we drink you fervently
oh Indian man
Indian woman
Indian child
you do not press it
to your lips
where Ganga rise
dark saffron
white
such holy green
but today I found Patel
who says
yet English
shrinks
him
down
before white men
who think their flat cold spiky words
make the only reality
still
mother’s name
is heavenly made
cited poems:
det er et yndigt land, Adam Oehlenschläger
danmark, mit faedreland, H.C Andersen
dreaming in gujrati, Shailja Patel
