Hvi suckar det så tungt uti skogen

"Why such a heavy sigh from the forest" (B. E. Malmström's poem)

ink, gouache and water colours 10"x10"

My father is very fond of this verse*. When we were young-uns** and sighed loud enough, he would put his big hands on our shoulders and repeat that question until he'd get some sort of response. There are innumerable lines and unforgettable quotes ingrained in our brains that pop up when similar situations or feelings appear and I'm a fan of those moment because it usually ads another dimension to the current situation.

* Sorry, I can't find a translation of the whole poem and I'm not even going to attempt to transcribe this beautiful early 1900's Swedish lyric.

** And yes given the opportunity, he still does it :)