I was born without language

I was born without language
umbilical cord speechlessly bandaged
by a mute midwife

I grew up at the border
under the cross-fire from two languages
which have whipped my tongue
to dumbness

I was raised
with demands of clarity
language and nationality

I was whipped at school
into language, clarity
nationality
I was whipped to contempt
for that which was mine
the want of a language
and the border

I was built by exterior
violence
as well as interior constraint
on abbreviations
and misunderstandings

I was deprived of my identity card

(Translation by Anne Heith)

Bengt Pohjanen

[This poem from a author and a poet from my home grounds points to the fact that many in this area does not speak neither Swedish nor Finnish but Meänkeli which is a mix of the two languages (with some Sami mixed in). Very old Finnish and very old Swedish as that. It's incoprehensible for native Swedes aswell as for native Finns].