Sonja
I cannot wait
or… I feel that I do not want to wait
It is sunny, truly sunny,
the breaths challengingly blue, exalted,
crammed full of oxygen
– and the wind is cold, piercing,
coming up from the Gulf of Bothnia
I take my time
changing into cycling gear, warm cycling gear;
for instance no fewer than three pairs of cycling trousers,
but first, closest to the skin,
a pair of tight-fitting leg warmers from Swedish Craft;
followed by a pair of short bib shorts
from British Pinnacle
with a seat of comfort-padding material,
which I also anoint
with friction-reducing cream
from Swiss Chamois;
a pair of properly warm, truly high-quality
long cycling bib tights from American Pearl Izumi,
and outermost yet another pair of long ones
from the same manufacturer,
but slightly thinner and more flexible,
into which I insert a square piece of sheepskin,
originally intended for horse ankles,
to guarantee the genitals their warmth
even in a stubbornly cheeky headwind
On my upper body I dress
in a pair of long-sleeved merino tops
from New Zealand Icebreaker,
a short-sleeved cycling jersey from Scandinavian White
and a yellow reflective vest from Norwegian Reflectil,
which today I primarily wear for its windproof qualities
Around my neck I have a long buff
that seals things off,
and a thick, dense collar from ITAB,
which one can freely tighten or loosen
Over my head I pull a hood
from Danish GripGrab,
and a delightfully close-fitting, warm cap
from the same company,
and I put on a warm headband for further sealing,
and, of course, a cycling helmet, yellow, from American Giro
On my hands I wear a pair of warm gloves
My sock-clad feet I slip
into a pair of cycling shoes from Japanese Shimano,
over which I pull a pair of wind- and waterproof gaiters
from German Vaude
Then I mount my American Trek mountain bike
and set off into the heavy-going chilly headwind
down toward Råneå along county road DB 760,
in a stinging sunlight that I handle
with a pair of polarized sunglasses from Fiskejournalen
(The Fishing Journal)
At 5 in the morning I had taken two paracetamol
for the pain in the tennis elbow of my right arm,
which I have acquired
through unergonomic computer work over a long time,
and at 11 in the forenoon, before the ride,
I take another dose,
so as not to have to pedal through purgatory on the way to
or from Råneå
Despite the sun-cold headwind
in the assaulting sunlight
I feel an almost cheerful fighting spirit,
and the road is completely thawed, and dried
by the fresh winds,
despite the early date, April 10,
while the fields still lie snow-covered
and refrigerate the wind
Soon I pass Älvens hus (The River House),
and pedal shortly through Niemiholm and Orrbyn
in an even and steady cadence along the Råne River,
and a little later past Böle,
where the blue-cold wind forces me
to put on the long-sleeved cycling shell jacket from Craft
After twenty-five kilometres I reach Råneå,
park and lock the bike outside COOP
with a several-kilo heavy lock from American Kryptonite,
and step inside and collect Sonja Åkesson’s collected poems,
which I have bought in a beautiful old volume
from Bokbörsen,
and now place in the bike bag from Chinese Cavo
This purchase was part of a synchronic sequence
that began with my thinking of Sonja Åkesson
and looking her up online,
among other places on Bokbörsen, where I saw the volume of collected poems
which I ordered
A few days later an episode was broadcast
of Lundström’s Book Radio on Swedish Radio P1,
devoted to a new edition
of Sonja Åkesson’s collected poems,
which had just been released
Well then, I collect my parcel at COOP in Råneå
and set off homeward in the tailwind,
which turns the return journey into a joyful pleasure
I could have waited a few days for the book,
until Anna is going to the swimming hall in Råneå to train,
but I wanted Sonja Åkesson now, immediately,
and the cycling training on a sunny April day in the wind
became the icing on the cake, the dot over the i,
the crown of the work!
– and the shower after the 54 kilometres, divine
Poetry by Ingvar Loco Nordin
Written on 2026-04-10 at 19:10
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