DICTIONARY OF A NORWEGIAN HOSPITAL BED
bønner
/bœnər/
n. beans - edible seeds of leguminous plants; kidney beans, black beans, coffee beans, lima beans, spill the beans, green beans, jellybeans, baked beans
n. prayers - moonlight captures you through the blinds, I fold my hands and whisper; please, please, please
lam
/lam:/
n. lamb - a young sheep; lamb chop, like a lamb to the slaughter, gentle as a lamb
adj. paralysed - your eyes open, but you can't move; left, right, forwards, backwards
tunge
/to`ŋ:ə/
n. tongue - the soft piece of flesh in the mouth, used for tasting and speaking; ox tongue, slip of the tongue, tongue twister
adj. heavy - they lift your limbs and scrub you down with soap; arms, legs, you make me leave the room
full
/ful:/
adj. drunk - having one's faculties impaired by alcohol; get drunk, drunk driver, dead-drunk
adj. full - anger fills you; replaces the liver, crumbles the bones, spreads through the tubes until the machines beep loudly
kart
/kart/
n. unripe fruit - fruit that is immature and not ready to be eaten; apples, lemons, peaches, pears, bananas
n. map - I only leave when they put new sheets on the bed; not knowing where to go, how to
Maria Jakobsen is a Norwegian writer and journalist, who currently lives and studies in the UK. She has been published in Flash Literary Journal, Love Letters Magazine and The Phare, and also writes regularly for Localfolk. You can find her on twitter @mariasjakobsen or by visiting https://mariajakobsen.com/