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The Estonian poet Jaan Kaplinski

Thanks to Linda for reporting from Edinburg: She tells:

So strange - having attended the All Points North event yesterday evening - which btw was amazing - I find that the Scottish Poetry Library are hosting a Jaan Kaplinski event on 27th August in Edinburgh.

He is also appearing at the International Book Festival earlier that week.

Linda

 

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The Building of Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh

 

And Linda adds this PS - A Kaplinski poem particularly relevant to our climate at the moment:

The possibility of rain...

The possibility of rain… If rain is possible
everything is possible: spinach, lettuce, radish and dill,
even carrots and potatoes, even black
and red currants, even swallows
above the pond where you can see
the reflection of the full moon, and bats flying.
The children finish playing badminton and go in.
There’s a haze to the west. Little by little
the fatigue in my limbs changes to optimism. I dream
I borrow a plane to fly to Cologne.
I must go in too. The sky’s nearly dark,
a half-moon shining through birch branches.
Suddenly I feel myself like an alchemist’s retort
where all this – heat, boredom,
hope and new thoughts –
is melting into something strange, colourful and new.

translated by Jaan Kaplinski and Fiona Sampson
© Jaan Kaplinski / Fiona Sampson, 2005
from Evening Brings Everything Back (Bloodaxe, 2004)


Both pictures are copied from the Website of Scottish Poetry Library
http://www.spl.org.uk/index.html

About Jaan Kaplinski:
http://www.estlit.ee/index.php?id=625

A Short History of Estonian Literature:
http://www.estlit.ee/


Published  4th June, 2005

Fedraheimen       Hugen