"Valkyrie"

A POEM FOR MY WIFE

"VALKYRIE"

When I sleep, and I dream of a long-ago time
When battles were fought for neither reason nor rhyme,

I see many scenes rather vividly
Of warriors celebrating their victory,

The greatest of warriors were strong and free
Their hearts were of lions, filled with savagery,

With honor and pride, these warriors would decree
"I would gladly give my life for clan and country!",

On the field would they fight with axe, and with sword
Undaunted by the size of the oncoming horde,

Even the wise, the Elders, those considered most sage
Were filled with the power of the berserker rage,

That power that lies deep within us all
That is freed by the sound of the warrior's call,

Without fear, they would wade knee-deep into battle
Slaughtering their enemy like a herd of cattle,

With the stroke of a sword, or the slash of a knife
Sometimes a brave warrior would lose his life,

But even in the throes of death
One thing would he do, with his last dying breath,

The number of the enemy he, alone, had slain
He would count once, then count once again,

If the count were high, then he smiled with glee
For, even in death, he had found victory,

Odin's name would he call, or Thor's, if need be
With one request only, "Send down a Valkyrie!",

A warrior would die happy in the midst of the fight
For, finally, he could see the Valkyries in flight,

Warriors would die, their hearts filled with glee
If they knew the next sight would be that of a Valkyrie,

One dream, one goal, from boyhood to man
To see these winged women from Valhalla first-hand,

With gossamer wings, like those of a dove
These women would descend from Valhalla above,

Of unequalled beauty these women of Valhalla must be
For so many warriors to give their lives just to see,

In battle not tested, swords never faced
I lie in my bed, feeling sad and disgraced,

In my sleep do I toss, and I turn, and I cry
For I fear I never will see these women from on high,

I wake from my slumber, with a shock and a start
For I have heard the sound of my own breaking heart,

I long to gaze at such wondrous beauty
That could fill a dying warriors heart with glee,

I feel a movement in the bed, and then it subsides
I turn my head to look, and my eyes open wide,

Then my heart feels like that of a warrior-born
All sadness and sorrow from inside has been shorn,

Then my heart beats faster, and fills up with glee
As I gaze at the wondrous beauty of MY Valkyrie.

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