The Crab, the Fjord, and the Sword

The weather was fine when I threw out the line

Scheming and dreaming that crab would be mine

Then I saw in the deep: a glimmer a shine

The hilt of a sword, an ancient sign

Thunder rolled in as I struck with my net

Rain ricocheted, I was getting wet

My mother yelled, ‘We gotta call off this bet!’

I hollered, ‘Hey mom, I ain’t done here yet.’

My net was too weak to lift the old blade

I was distracted, the crab was saved

He darted sideways into a cave

I lost sight of the sword in a crashing wave

The heavens opened, the dock shook

I smashed a blue mussel, I re-baited my hook

The crab scuttled out, I got another look

Of the sword in the water, from a story book

I wanted the sword more than the crab

If I got struck by lightning, Mom would be mad

To lose both prizes would be quite sad

My luck that day was really so bad

‘Mom,’ I screamed, over the din of the storm

‘I found something cool we’ve never seen before,’

‘Precious treasure from the days of yore’

‘Look, Mom, a Viking sword!’

My mom’s a dreamer, but she’s also tough

Instead of saying enough is enough

She pulled up her hood as the weather got rough

And said: ‘Okay kid, I’ll get the stuff.’

We held a long pole with a hook on the end

The crab sat on the sword, like an old friend

We poked the hilt, our pole started to bend

I yelled, ‘Come on: one, two, three, again!’

The sea thrashed, the rain beat down

We couldn't talk over the swelling sound

But I knew what precious treasure we’d found

We paused to wait out the angry clouds

We hid inside the tiny boat shack

A streak of lightning snaked an attack

Splitting the sky with a fiery crack

Zapping the water with an earsplitting smack

The sea boiled, the sword rose from the deep

I knew then it was ours to keep

I pinched myself. Was I asleep?

I left the shack in one big leap

The rain stopped, all was still

My arms had goosebumps, I felt a chill

I knew i had a destiny to fulfil

Was it the mythical sword of Yggdrasil?

The crab spied and with a cheeky wink

He jumped in the water and started to sink

I was too stunned even to blink

I saw a one-eyed man —Odin I think

He said: ‘The sword is the guardian of the tree’

‘The tree of life, our destiny’

‘It’s slept in the ocean, you set it free’

‘You weren't chosen accidentally’

An archaeologist put the sword on display

Even though I still fish and play

I have many things I want to say

about trees, and seas and keeping life safe

Now I’m a protector, a righter of wrongs

I hear my mission like a song

We all must help, or we will be gone

We need our world to endure on

© Taraneh Ghajar Jerven