Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches
In the previous posts on Sleep Paralysis and The Artesian Well, I talked about a dream of my Norse heritage and how I awoke paralyzed in this dream as a poem recited in my mind. In The Artesian Well, I introduced an old family fable about ancestor adventure in the Philippines. Now, I’d like to present the poem that was playing through my mind. This poem was a metaphor for Love and how adversity can forge unbreakable bonds through perseverance.
Voyage of the Longship Drakken
Amidst the tempest’s wrath, a longship sails,
Its prow slicing through the frothy waves,
A vessel forged in fire and salted tears,
A metaphor for love’s enduring grace.
The Ship sails the shadowy fjord, oaken ribs entwined,
The longship emerges, a phoenix reborn,
Its dragon-headed prow defiantly raised,
As if challenging the very gods themselves.
The crew, fierce and weathered, man their stations,
Their eyes fixed on distant horizons,
Their hands calloused from years of toil,
Yet hearts aflame with unwavering devotion.
The North Sea’s roars, a primal beast unchained,
Its icy breath biting at sail and skin,
But the longship presses forward,
Its timbers groaning, yet unyielding.
Salt spray kisses the cheeks of the helmsman,
His eyes squinting against the stinging gale,
He steers with purpose, guided by the stars,
For love knows no shelter in the storm.
Love’s Beacon at the masthead, a lantern burns bright,
A beacon of hope in the darkest night,
Its flame fueled by memories shared,
By whispered promises and stolen kisses.
The longship’s crew huddles close,
Their bodies pressed together for warmth,
Heartbeats synchronized with the rhythm of the waves,
Their love a lifeline across the chasm of uncertainty.
Perseverance for days bleed into weeks, and months,
Yet the longship sails on, undeterred,
Its sails patched, its hull scarred,
But its spirit unbroken, its purpose unwavering.
Through fog-shrouded mornings and moonless nights,
They navigate the treacherous currents,
Their love a compass, their perseverance a sail,
Guiding them toward a distant shore.
Landfall embraces, as dawn’s first light kisses the horizon,
The longship glimpses land—a rugged coastline,
Its cliffs rising like ancient guardians,
Welcoming weary hearts home.
The crew rejoices, their cheers echoing across the waves,
For they’ve weathered the tempests, survived the abyss,
Their love, like the longship, unyielding,
A testament to the human spirit’s indomitable strength.
So let the winds howl and the waves rage,
For love, like a Viking longship, endures,
Navigating life’s tumultuous seas,
Guided by the stars and fueled by unwavering hearts.
In the saga of love, they are the heroes,
Their story etched upon the salt-stained planks,
A testament to the resilience of the human soul,
Sailing forever onward, toward the sun’s golden embrace.
Hyperion Sky 
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