trobaire.org

a collection of literature from poets, bards, songwriters, and skalds in the SCA

The Hunt

blackbow
Poem (Canso): 
Wild wolfpack follow
Rapid ragged breathing
Heartbeat races rampant
Pity our prey fleeing.

Frantic furry rabbits
Wide-eyed fearful watching
Swift speed is their defense
Sharp teeth stops their twitching.

Wild wolfpack follow
Rapid ragged breathing
Heartbeat races rampant
Pity our prey fleeing.

Clucking, chirping, talking
Awkward-looking otter
Waving while pack watches
Safely swims through water.

Wild wolfpack follow
Rapid ragged breathing
Heartbeat races rampant
Pity our prey fleeing.

Furtive, feeding deer graze
Wary watch, then careless
Pack from nowhere pounces!
Scared survivors, witless.

Wild wolfpack follow
Rapid ragged breathing
Heartbeat races rampant
Pity our prey fleeing.

Powerful, proud antlers
Push their path through forest
Calls to challenge wolfpack
Prudent pack leaves to rest.

Wild wolfpack follow
Rapid ragged breathing
Heartbeat races rampant
Pity our prey fleeing.

Stag will soon be harried
Hounded, hassled, and then
Pack will proudly carry
More meat back to their den.

Wild wolfpack follow
Rapid ragged breathing
Heartbeat races rampant
Pity our prey fleeing.

Documentation / Explanation (Razo): 
“Viking Drottkvaett: The Hunt” is what passed for a reasonable imitation of Viking poetry at the time. It was written for the competition at Anton and Luned’s most recent Coronation, which it won, and was read at feast that evening. The competition theme was “The Hunt." (NB: the word “drottkvaett” is Norse for “pain in the a** to write.”)

When I wrote the poem I liked the concept of breaking the poem into sections by repeating the “chorus” of the same four lines between “stanzas” of the poem. This is a perfect example of writing for readability rather than performability (whether that’s a word or not) of a poem. It reads really cool on a page. Out loud, though, it sounds quite silly. I know… I read it out loud that night, and two stanzas in I wanted to crawl under a rock because I realized I was going to have to repeat the “chorus” stanza five or six more times. Subsequent readings of this poem will have the “chorus” stanza at the beginning and end of the poem and that’ll be all.