Eva Ström read Magnus William-Olsson’s new collection of poems – Aftonbladet

In his new collection of poems Hermit Cancer songs show Magnus William-Olsson a new side of his writing, a playful role of poetry with a hermit crab that a fable-like protagonist in a biblical world. This small thinking animals are in an underwater world where also the “Crab”, “Octopus” and “Jaws” is to not to speak of “Archangel” and God himself.

In this seawater discussed incessant religious and existential issues, with The Old Testament that fund, while there is an element of barnkammarbok in the poems. Here are traces of the Song of Songs and the Book of Job, and rarely read the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk, whose word of God become the book’s starting point: “You have allowed people to become like fish of the sea, the teeming throng without rulers.”

In Cancer Hermit Songs allows Magnus William-Olsson, the people become just as sea fish and sea animals, without losing the human fear and wonder. The irreproachable crab reminiscent of Job, and suffer countless accidents.

“See how the boils and blemishes / knocked out of the crab’s body” / shout squid to sharks, / “it is the Lord’s punishment!” //

“Integrity is I” Piper crab. “

Typing in this children’s book tradition becomes grotesquely absurd visible in the water animal / human situation. The heartless shark until jungs the closest hellsingska noises.

This playfulness rests understood the seriousness bottom. The prophet Habakkuk begins his book with a very contemporary lament, “How long, O Lord, will I cry / without listening, / call up for help against violence / without you engage? / Why do you let me witness the evil? / How can you witness the oppression? “

In this situation think the small hermit crab still in their God, and hope for grace. Perhaps because he was amazed seen the love? He’d love to be one of them singing the Song of Songs. In the dark waters live Leviathan the evil power, it knows the fish. Yet they want to form themselves into a hymn:

“We wear our heart lantern by night. / We are the eternal stellar moments puff. / We see them beaming when we are born and when we die. / The visible forever, but never see us. “/ We are the lauded sacred lanterns. / We praise blindly believe in what we do not see / We close our eyes and sees not see. / We are seen CONDUCT OF THE unseen nothing, that look. “

All are hopeful and terrified of each other and have their disguises and strategies, and everything is to preach the words of vanity. Religion becomes consolation, play and deadly serious. The situation is desperate, we are no more than a few small insects swimming in a large and dangerous seas, and vainly grope, we search for meaning and context.

The cover of Felix Swahn is congenial with their tangled and dancing figurines, entangled in each other in a turquoise sea world. What can we do other than sing, as the hermit crab does? Swim in the world ocean, play and read aloud. And may also believe in grace. It is liberating, it’s pleasurable, it’s just as childishly simple as childish profound, it is poetry.

Eva Power

Magnus William-Olsson participates in the Aftonbladet Culture pages, therefore, we have asked Eva Power , author and critic of Sydsvenskan , to review the book.