yggdrasil

i.
who has seen yggdrasil, the world tree,
her leaves drinking in the sunlight of asgard
where dwell the gods.
her branches scattered across nine worlds
her roots running deep
into wisdom, holiness,
and death

ii.
on the day odin came to the world tree
the heavens hushed
and even ratatoskr paused in his
nut gathering to watch
curious
saving his messages and insults
for another story

iii.
three old women gather at the well
listening to the rustle of the branches
touching the message of the bark
smiling their blind glee
as they draw
the fate of heroes and villains
with their bitter laughter

iv.
it’s strange
that the norns
who hold the memory of the world tree
locked behind their blind smiles
are so easily tricked
left blind and helpless
when a hero visits and holds
the one eye they have between them
the one eye that odin sold for his fate
the one eye that saw this story happen
in the last story

v.
on the day odin paused at mimisbrunnr
the well of wisdom
to climb onto the world tree
yggdrasil caught him in her embrace
because wisdom can never come too cheaply
and gods make tricksy lovers

vi.
nine days he lingered there
hanging by his outflung limbs
while squirrels threw nuts at his head
and ravens brought him rain water
in their beaks
until finally he knew the price
and left his eye in mimisbrunnr
in exchange for one sip of the water

vii.
where lies the tree
that touches everywhere
and everywhen
what price
will the norns ask
when I finally stand before them
holding odin’s eye in my hand
tempting fate