Poem of Ása

Hearken now to the tale of woe,

Of Hjalmar bold and Niamh in shadow.

The raid came swift, a storm of fire,

Éire's coast burned by war’s desire.

In Dún Briste’s heart, where fear did dwell,

Hjalmar saw Niamh, beneath death's knell.

Her eyes, like stars in a smoke-filled night,

Awoke in him the faded light.

No longer the reaver of blood and steel,

He turned on his kin with a heart grown real.

The blade flashed swift, a comrade fell,

And Hjalmar fled through chaos' swell.

Niamh in tow, they left the shore,

Fleeing the cries of war once more.

Through forest thick and bitter chill,

They ran for days by strength of will.

With every breath, they shed the past,

And found a bond that held them fast.

In nights so cold, they shared their grief,

In whispered tales, they found belief.

The weight of loss on Hjalmar’s soul,

Met Niamh’s sorrow, her heart left whole.

Through fear and hunger, through cold and pain,

They forged a bond that would remain.

Slow grew trust, a fragile seed,

A warmth that answered each other’s need.

No longer alone, no longer bound,

A glimmer of hope in their hearts was found.

By moon’s pale light, they spoke in signs,

Slowly learning each other's lines.

In laughter and tears, a love took root,

A gentle spark, a tender shoot.

And when the winter began to fade,

The earth awakened, warm and laid.

Niamh knew well, her hope grown near,

That life within her now drew clear.

A child to come, their love made whole,

A light to guide them, heart and soul.

Together they walked, through frost and flame,

Toward a future that would bear Ása's name.

Their joy was bright, a future clear,

With Hjalmar's heart set on drawing near

To building, hunting, labouring true,

A hearth of warmth for them to pursue.

The walls he raised with steady hand,

A home for Niamh upon the land.

The fire burned warm, the roof was sound,

And laughter’s echo all around.

For Niamh, the days were soft and calm,

Her heart now safe, her fears disarmed.

She watched as Hjalmar worked with pride,

And love grew deep, as side by side,

They built a life from dreams once lost,

Found hope in each, despite the cost.

And when at last the time had come,

Beneath the stars, beneath the sun,

Ása was born, their light, their love,

A gift bestowed from gods above.

The night was still, the stars alight,

The fire glowed warm, their hearts so bright.

A perfect night, a breathless dawn,

A dream fulfilled, a child drawn.

But with the day, the shadows came,

And sorrow struck with cruel aim.

The light they cherished, gone so soon,

Ása lost beneath the moon.

The joy they held, the hope so near,

Turned to silence, turned to tears.

Yet still they stood, as morning broke,

With hands entwined, no words they spoke.

The morning broke, and sorrow grew,

The weight of loss, a pain so true.

They held their child, so cold and still,

With trembling hands, against their will.

Through silent woods, they walked so slow,

To find a place where she could go.

A grave they dug beneath the trees,

Where branches whispered with the breeze.

Hjalmar's tears were fierce and hot,

A warrior's grief, a heart distraught.

Niamh's cries were soft, a broken sound,

A mother’s heart laid in the ground.

In days that followed, shadows grew,

Their love was tested, torn in two.

They fought with words, in anger blind,

The pain too raw, their hearts confined.

Yet through the storm, a glimmer shone,

A thread of love they both had known.

In sorrow’s depth, they found a way,

To hold each other through the fray.

They grieved together, side by side,

In silence shared, no need to hide.

The tears that fell, the words unspoken,

Hearts once shattered, slowly broken.

Through hardship's fire, their bond was forged,

A love renewed, though hearts still gorged.

They walked until their feet grew sore,

Until they found a distant shore.

A valley green, a gentle space,

Where they could rest, a sacred place.

A home they built with hands and tears,

A haven safe from all their fears.

And in that place, they gave a name,

For Ása, whom they could not claim.

A memory, a light to stay,

To guide them through each passing day.