The Migrant Bird´s Compass

Pia Tafdrup: "The Migrant Bird´s Compass". Poems. Gyldendal 2010
Cover: Ida Balslev-Olesen with photo of Per Bak Jensen

Now also as CD:

Pia Tafdrup: "Birds of Compass". CD Read by the poet in Danish. Gyldendal LYD (Produced at AudioResort)2010
ISBN: 978-87-02-09986-7
Cover: Sarah Green with photo of Per Bak Jensen

THE WORDS TRAVEL

I live in another country, but even so
don’t leave my home.
The alphabet I take with me
and the structures of the grammar
the words’ meanings and emphases.
  No matter where on the globe
I settle,
I live in the language
  I was born into.
No storm of other languages
capsizes mine.
I am I
        in my own language –
dreaming in what accidentally
became my mother tongue.
I write at home,
               write abroad,
everywhere the same:
The words have hearts of migrating birds,
dissection shows,
  they want to reach someone,
  and I live with these
bird-words, their singing and hoarse cries.