Rolf Jacobsen, Norwegian Poet

Looking through the stacks of books at the college library today I came across  a book of poems by the Norwegian modernist poet Rolf Jacobsen (1907-1994). I flipped through them and I enjoyed his style. Here is one of his poems that I really enjoyed.

HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT

Innocently
with large eyes
and twisted eyebrows
and mouth curiously pursed
like a child
she goes to start dancing
under dimmed floodlights, hooded floodlights
Tango and Cucaracha
to the castenets, so:
Arms raised, two steps to the side.
Bend clumsily in the knees.

Now with innocent eyes
and twisted eyebrows
the gasmask stares out over the world
with its snout curiously pursed
like a child.
So we go to start dancing
under cold floodlights, white floodlights.
Tango and
cucaracha
to machine-guns, so:
Arms raised. Two steps to the side.
Bend clumsily in the knees.