Viking Spiritual
There'll be a morning
to rise up and go,
when wings pink-plucked naked
are finally fledged,
when the wind shows her kindness
not too hard nor too little.
We'll ride on the back
We'll ride on the back
of a valkyrie's song.
There'll be a noonday
forgiven with flowers
over the battlefield
poppied with stone,
sunlight in a child's cup,
cedars swayed in a kiss,
voices raised in the shield song
for hearts killed in war.
There'll be an evening
written slant in our name.
We'll be its last murmur;
rose summer will glow
on a face now forgotten
and darkness will close
sweet as mead, deep as dream,
long as the serpent
that swallows the world.
~April 2013
posted for dVerse Poets
Poetics: Trip the Poem Fantastic
Karin Gustafson(Manicddaily) asks us to take a trip without leaving the farm, or about leaving the farm, or having nothing to do with the farm, like this one.
Image: Valkyrie, by Stephen Sinding, Copenhagen
Public Domain by photographer, via wikimedia commons
Those last four lines are really marvelous, Hedge. I love it when you go all Viking on us, and chronicle their gods, battles, and myths, always with your own unique twist.
ReplyDeletefantastic...ok, first...you ever watch Vikings on the history channel? sorry had to ask...its been interesting...the breaking of the day is really effective in this...almost like the passage of life...the sunlight in the childs cup is a cool touch...as is the slant of your name...and of course the serpent swallowing the world in the end...wicked good hedge...
ReplyDeleteVery cool images, especially the serpent.
ReplyDeleteI hesitate to disagree--you seem to have a poetry farm over there, growing verses day and night. You've taken the "fantastic" part of the prompt seriously here - with a song worthy of Tolkien - I found the last verse incredibly strong sound-wise - they are all strong - but this one has such wonderful assonance--and subtle slant rhyme - rose/close/swallows - also I love murmurs of Yeats and Dickinson - for me any way with arising and going and that certain slant of light. Really magical. It is kind of dark - but there's a kind of redemption to - what's that about Christ and the Serpent's foot - wounding heal and head - (I don't think you refer to that, but it's tied up in it nonetheless.) I think favorite image is actually battlefield poppied with stone - not quite sure of what to make of that - headstone - but there's enough ambiguity to hope for simply just stone - as in a field that is disused. (This may be me being hopeful.) Wonderful poem. k.
ReplyDeleteThat second stanza could stand alone as a poem... the images evoke such strong feelings beautiful! Indeed it's a lovely journey through your words, till that serpents swallows the world!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful words Hedge specially the last verse ~
ReplyDeleteWe'll be its last murmur;
rose summer will glow
on a face now forgotten
and darkness will close
sweet as mead, deep as dream
Love the lilt and musicality of this - the last stanza is magical
ReplyDeleteLove the passage through the day of what will be, especially "an evening
ReplyDeletewritten slant in our name"... happy to be here, Hedge.
I love the last four lines, Hedge.
ReplyDeletefantastic writing..so mystical I really enjoyed this from start to finish.
ReplyDeleteLove the bristling energy in the first two stanzas and then the thoughtful last stanza slows down the pace and there are dark thoughts wandering! Stunning!
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful poem. I can hear it singing - and just to mention one thing more - the start of each stanza setting the scene makes it even more powerful with the repetitions.
ReplyDeleteAh 'when wings pink-plucked naked / are finally fledged' what wondrous imagery ~ beautiful
ReplyDeleteThis reads as a song. Carried closely early-on, forgiveness at noonday, and the evening just as alive.
ReplyDeleteYour form is admirable and your images are both unexpected and rich. really wonderful.
This is fine writing. Beautiful, lyrical. A poem worthy to be recited in the great halls of the Viking kings.
ReplyDeleteInteresting reading of this poem for me is that the Valkyrie choose who return and so many of the images are of those they said no
ReplyDeleteSuch sing-song beauty all the way through this, tender, heart-filled, I want to go to this place.
ReplyDeleteYour skill of incorporating little evocative surprises leads me to hang on each word, line, stanza - love "sunshine in a child's cup" and "rose summer will glow on a face now forgotten" ;)
ReplyDeleteI believe you! Beautifuly written.
ReplyDelete