yustyoking

My mother Rosa Feingold passed away in October 2022. She was 81. Born six months before Pearl Harbor, she grew up a child of World War Two. Who knew the Japanese would attack on December 7, 1941 and America would go to war?

We lost 34 cousins to the Holocaust, the entire Polish-Russian side of the family. That cast a shadow over Rosa’s life.

R. I. P.

In our collective grief, Clive and Mutte in Swedish rap band realPfft have composed an ode to my mom.

Entitled “Morsan,” Swedish for “Mom,” the song views Rosa’s untimely demise from a Swedish perspective. Passing from this mortal coil is a universal experience. Everybody dies eventually and with very few exceptions, most people die right here on Earth. Still, a Swedish composition, the song does have its Swedish quirks.

Here is the English translation of the lyrics:

Mom

Mommy!

Mom lies dying

Not a lot of time left

While my sister wants to visit

And sit on the edge of the bed

To grieve over all the times

She wasn’t there

As if I don’t grieve?

I grieve

Life’s batteries run dry

My niece wants me to take my laptop

To the hospital and arrange a Zoom meeting

I grieve

Mom was a tough lady

Night owl and opinionated

Her ghost plays tricks

Making lamps burn out

Garbage cans fall over

And doors jam

Times are strange

Yes, times are strange

Because mom lies dying

The funeral home helps me

Control my grief

I bury myself in details

“A north country burial? Yes, please,

That would be good. She came

From there”

It’s not our fault that Kiruna

Is sinking into the ground

As my ex Susie likes to say

“Life isn’t easy”

Then she goes to the liquor store

To bury her sorrows

Because…

Mom, she lies

She lies dying

She is passing

She wastes away

Groaning, she is passing

My mother

She’s dying