By Will Falk

Battle of Clontarf
Hugh Frazer

one millennium later
and there are still warships in the bay

our time, our place
the longest night before
our own Clontarf

the sea
turns green from gray

the fog is cold
warns of an ever-lasting chill

the sand is blank and dry
unblemished

it won’t be for long
swords must be sharpened

while some eat
while some can’t
and some won’t

while we work
with invisible hammers
to build the greatest armor of all:

to be dead before the morning
to be ghosts before battle

and then to meet the Vikings
where no axe can fall

we pray to Brian Boru
one millennium later
because
there are still warships in the bay
and we must choose
our time, our place

Historical note: 2014 is the 1,000 year anniversary of High King of Ireland Brian Boru’s victory at the Battle of Clontarf over a combined force of Vikings, Leinstermen, and Ulstermen. Clontarf is a beach just north of Dublin. Despite winning, Brian Boru was killed by fleeing Vikings as he prayed in his tent after the battle.

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Will Falk

Will Falk moved to the West Coast from Milwaukee, WI where he was a public defender. His first passion is poetry and his work is an effort to record the way the land is speaking. He feels the largest and most pressing issue confronting us today is the destruction of natural communities. He received a Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego Chapter, 2016 Journalism award. He is currently living in Utah.

Latest posts by Will Falk (see all)

• Time to Escalate? First-Ever Rights of Nature Lawsuit Dismissed - December 7, 2017
• The Rights of Nature and the Power of Law - October 18, 2017
• Why Does the Colorado River Need to Sue For Rights? - September 25, 2017