Austmarka | 0 degrees | sunny
last day
in austmarka
the days
have passed
faster + faster
not sure
there’ll be much
to show
for such
a luxurious +
unprecedented amount
of time spent
exploring
experimenting
mucking about with materials
testing things out
will be sorry
to leave behind
the generous studio
and dramatic outdoors
daily trudge across
largely people free landscape
the bitter + brittle cold
(weirdly !)
the quiet + unhurried pace
casual conversations
about stuff like
photography, politics
education, history
refugees,
food, christmas
art
not so sorry
to leave behind
the blandish food
+ lack of wine
having cold feet
in the middle of the night
slamming doors
popcorn popping
people living
a nocturnal life
not being able to
just go somewhere
(apart from Kongsvinger)
and back
in a day
last trip
to shop
toilet roll
ran out
loop back
round the village
past the
unfenced-in school
the pointy-steepled church
a flooded field
over the bridge
crossing
the black river
that links
the top lake
to the bottom
musing on the
civility of
this place
which appears
(after 3 weeks!)
well resourced
and designed
communal
and generous
not shouty or
overbearing
sort and shuffle
disentangle and discard
all the stuff
that’s accumulated
around me
dried up lichen
fir cones
mortar found at
nearby fortress
gluey blobs
broken sticks
bits of card
scribbled notes
and messages
until
the table’s
almost clear
pack the case
with wobbly wheels
stuff back-pack
with what’s left over
secrete gerkiny pickle
amongst the jumpers
and socks
set to go
before sun-up
the young guy
from Taiwan wants
to come to the
bus stop
and say
goodbye
