In a Cafe in Stockholm
The hands on the clock,
like metal spades,
have dropped
between the V and the I.
Through pervasive speakers,
a lady sings
to only a couple of patrons
sipping at warm drinks
on this cool autumn morning.
The day is prebustle.
Across the street,
wrapped in rented sheets,
with curtains drawn,
the tourists sleep.
Song sprinkles their dreams;
the birds search tirelessly
through the cobblestone
for bits of bread.
After a brief rest,
the sun returns,
shepherding the cranes
as they stalk the shallow horizon
in search of change.
No one shouts, no one honks.
The city is tranquil
as the water on which it sits,
clean as the breeze
that ruffles the leaves
outside the cafe
on this gentle, peaceful
autumn morning.
Tiveden
The river will always lead you to the ocean.
You stand between your shadow and the sun.
The canopy eclipses even the bluest of skies
so your thoughts can take root with the trees.
Breathe.
Allow the breeze to sing testament
to the silence of this grand space.
Submit to the melody of the warblers
and quiet the mind.
The creek babbles not without purpose.
Should you feel the need to hum, do it softly.
Don’t give the acorns reason to fall.
It’s time to unburden your backpack,
open your senses,
call forth the wind
and the answers that blow within.
Something special surrounds us.
Ben Von Jagow has had poetry featured in literary journals across Canada, the United States, and Great Britain. His work has appeared in Maudlin House, The Literary Review of Canada, Jersey Devil Press, and elsewhere.