#Ælfhild Astrædottir

[aelfhild-astraedottir]

Musical notes are falling from the sky

Shooshing like lullabies through the leaves

Plinking staccato on my chimney

Crescendoing in sync with the wind section

Winding winter melodies

Into my soul.

© Ælfhild Astrædottir 2023

[aelfhild-astraedottir]

Cherry blossom of stardust

Breathtaking stellar bloom

Thy petals grace perfectly divided

By a blazing star’s diffraction spikes

As if photons made thy pollen

Whilst thy petals themselves

Are of cosmic dust

Illuminated by heat and artifact

Unto a billowing umber and scarlet

Gently folding into thy very flower

Fleeting beauty of our cosmos.

Poem © Ælfhild Astrædottir March 2023

Sakura to Supernova

This rare sight is a super-bright, massive Wolf-Rayet star. Calling forth the ephemeral nature of cherry blossoms, the Wolf-Rayet phase is a fleeting stage that only some stars go through soon before they explode.

The star, WR 124, is 15,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius. It is 30 times the mass of the Sun and has shed 10 Suns worth of material – so far. As the ejected gas moves away from the star and cools, cosmic dust forms and glows in the infrared light detectable by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.

The origin of cosmic dust that can survive a supernova blast is of great interest to astronomers for multiple reasons. Dust shelters forming stars, gathers together to help form planets, and serves as a platform for molecules to form and clump together, including the building blocks of life on Earth.

Stars like WR 124 also help astronomers understand the early history of the universe. Similar dying stars first seeded the young universe with heavy elements forged in their cores – elements that are now common in the current era, including on Earth.

The James Webb Space Telescope opens up new possibilities for studying details in cosmic dust, which is best observed in infrared wavelengths of light. Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera balances the brightness of WR 124’s stellar core and the knotty details in the fainter surrounding gas. The telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument reveals the clumpy structure of the gas and dust nebula of the ejected material now surrounding the star.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[aelfhild-astraedottir]

Gale winds surge and ebb

Enlivening the forest

Which squeaks, groans and cracks.

© Ælfhild Astrædottir 2023

[aelfhild-astraedottir]

Hooded Merganser

Across the rippled water of the harbour

Sheltered from the winds that whistle through the rigging

Four mergansers slide on reflected sky,

Handsome black and white

Or sensible cinnamon brown

Their feathers slick the cold water back

And fan in stately rounded crests

As they perform a smooth harbour promenade.

Poem and photograph © Ælfhild Astrædottir 2023

[aelfhild-astraedottir]

Thora and Sleipnir's Sleigh: Part 12

by Ælfhild Astrædottir

Part 1 conveniently linked: here!

New Year's Eve in the Yule Father's Village

At the end of the calendar

When the dark polar night reigns yet

The Yule Father's Village bustles

And hustles with their second wind

It is New Year's Eve at last

Let the partying now commence!

Effervescent mead bubbling

Nuts popping around the campfires.

Garlands of cranberries crimson

Ribbons twined through hair and rack

Reindeer line dance patterns in snow

Elves cartwheel over furry backs

Foxes caper holding sparklers

Fireworks invite the sky to play

Thora is festooned with lights

Before streaking through the crisp air.

And that's a wrap for my Yuletide story this year: I hope you all enjoyed this festive poetry experiment of mine!

© Ælfhild Astrædottir 2023

[aelfhild-astraedottir]

Where the River Leaves

Golden beams of sunlight

Skim over stony crags

To highlight the valleys below,

The river bounces the light back up

Towards the watchers on the mountain

Towards the sky,

And high above in meadows of wildflowers

We revel in the evening sun

As the river inexorably leaves us behind,

Waters from these beautiful heights

Flow towards the sea

Uncaring of where their travels take them,

Though I know

It will be far beyond

The pristine beauty of the mountain.

Poem © Ælfhild Astrædottir 26-August-2023

Photograph © Ælfhild Astrædottir 11-July-2023

[aelfhild-astraedottir]

Penguins live the truth

At the frozen world's end

Cuddle party time.

© Ælfhild Astrædottir 2023

[aelfhild-astraedottir]

Thora and Sleipnir's Sleigh: Part 1

by Ælfhild Astrædottir

The Beginning

Ribbons of light streaming northward

Joyously light up the night sky

In celebration of new life

A new descendant of Sleipnir

Wobbles on eight spindly young legs

Dark fur fluffed by mother’s love

Eyes turn to the welcoming skies

Yearning unfurls in the young heart.

For moons the young one grew stronger

Untangling legs by twos and fours

Mastering the fall and the rise

Under mother's patient guidance

Until came the time of learning

Beyond mother's circle of care

The forest learning group at last

The young one would soon come to dare.

The day of learning dawned bright

Mother's proud eyes saw young one off

But on the forest path did meet

The young one with a father's fear

“Four legs only need a reindeer

I demand thee bind thy others”

Commanded the young one's father

Then cloaked youth in worn blanket.

Into the learning grove limped

The young one, eyes downcast in shame

Met with mockery for the cloak

Whilst tales of olden yore were told

Then when the cloak was torn away

The youngsters were then fear stricken

Of Odin's wrath their teachers spoke

Repentant were the foolish youth.

Whilst children learned to see true

The worth of spirit not dressing

The value of apologies

Given and also accepted

To conference were parents bade

By teachers just and dismayed

Before the young one’s very eyes

Mother kicked father to the skies.

The children cheered and stamped

While mother buffed her hooves clean

And when ended learning season

Sad partings there were had by all

As mother and child together

Journeyed North to mother's family

In the fine reindeer settlement

Within the Yule Father's village.

Welcome to my 2023 Yuletide story which I intend to complete over the course of twelve days centered on the Winter Solstice. It is an experimental format for me so we shall see how it comes out. Joyous Yuletide!

Part 12: see part 11 because I've reached link capacity in this post.

© Ælfhild Astrædottir 2023

[aelfhild-astraedottir]

Yule Tree-o

The rain holds back

Lingering in the clouds above

A break for those who scurry below

Seeking out trees for Yuletide,

Down the twisting forest paths

Around the yellowing hazelnut

Beneath the dripping cedars

Into the clearing

Where the young conifers

Grow proudly,

Some grand, some scraggled

Most a little bit of both

They are inspected and admired

Where they stand tangled together

With bough and blackberry

Until the saw is brought out

And the thinning commences,

Then one, two, three

Three grand fir saplings are harvested

And bound together

Their branch whorls staggered

Filling in for each other

To create a festive array

To decorate for Yuletide.

© Ælfhild Astrædottir 2023

[aelfhild-astraedottir]

Back and forth

The string lights wend

Reds and greens

Yellows and blues

Tracking color

Across the ceiling

Tracking light

Into the home.

© Ælfhild Astrædottir 2023

[aelfhild-astraedottir]

The mists of the past float about me now

Bringing the peace of good days gone by

When the water was calm about my kayak

Smooth to slice with paddle

When the bays of home spelled freedom

In the taste of salt on the air,

When I was as free upon the sea

As the eagles that gave pause that day

A moment of stillness in the morning

Before we all moved along our separate ways.

Photograph © Ælfhild Astrædottir 2019

Poem © Ælfhild Astrædottir 2023

[aelfhild-astraedottir]

Thora and Sleipnir's Sleigh: Part 11

by Ælfhild Astrædottir

Part 1: here!

Part 12: here!

Thora and the Midnight Sun

Around the world Thora roamed

Always returning to her home

To spend long hours with the Sleigh herd

Snacking on lichens and berries

By the lingering gold sunlight

That paints tundra and forest green

Fragrant flowers and buzzing bees

In the months long summer day.

© Ælfhild Astrædottir 2023

[aelfhild-astraedottir]

Thora and Sleipnir's Sleigh: Part 10

by Ælfhild Astrædottir

Part 1: at this convenient link.

Thora Gives Back

Thora grew into her magic

As the seasons turned over

Until again Yuletide drew nigh

And she returned to the North

This time she joined the Sleigh team

In their escalating races

And took her place as one of eight

In the harness of the Yule Sleigh.

As the Sleigh rose into the air

Carrying the gifts of Yuletide

As Sleipnir's magic gathered

Thora leaned into her team

Heart and soul unfurling in flight

Bolstering the Sleigh’s magic

That generations yet to come

Would find their heart's desire too.

The newest sister of the Sleigh

Wept for joy as her antlers grew

Tears freezing in crystalline drops

That shone like seeds of white starlight

Like promises of brilliance

On the night of wishes fulfilled

When Thora’s magic fueled

Sleipnir's ancient Yuletide gift.

© Ælfhild Astrædottir 2023

[aelfhild-astraedottir]

Dependable Green

Ælfhild Astrædottir

This poem was first published, today, in Salish Magazine, a free online magazine that publishes articles and artwork exploring Salish Sea ecosystems. This is my contribution. I encourage interested parties to follow the link and peruse the rest of the magazine. You can listen to me read my poem on the magazine site. It's my first time being published in a magazine: cheers!

Green is the call sign of summer

When chlorophyll works overtime

Gathering in wavelengths of reds and blues

Spinning those threads of sunshine,

Faithfully fueling the Plant Kingdom

(And dowager queen cyanobacteria besides)

From darling Mnium spinulosum moss

To gracefully sweeping hemlocks where they abide,

In summer the forests are painted with a thousand shades

Of vivacious, variegated, verdure

From sun touched madrone leaves

To shadowed webs of twinflower,

Then comes autumn the season of change

The deciduous leaves layoff their chlorophyll

Indulging in bright yellows and bold reds

Before they too are cast off and still,

Oh, but those stalwart evergreens

They hold tight to their chlorophyll yet

They weather autumn storms with their leaves intact

Sheltering their animal neighbors from the wet,

Then comes winter and the forests fill with skeletons

Tangled thickets of bare shrubs and barer trees

Ah, but the evergreens fill in their spaces

Vibrant life of red cedar and pacific rhodys,

When the deer are scrounging for tidbits

When the songbirds need a break from the cold

When the underground is limping by on reserves

Evergreen offerings are more precious than gold,

All winter the conifers tall and proud

Stand guard on our bluffs, our hills and our vales

A mosaic of malachite holding together our forests

Buffering all from the fiercest winter gales,

Then comes spring and the sweet sap rises

Buds unfurl tender leaves and pollen fills the air

And amidst all this new life and color

The valiant evergreens are still green and still there.

© Ælfhild Astrædottir 2023

[aelfhild-astraedottir]

Thora and Sleipnir's Sleigh: Part 9

by Ælfhild Astrædottir

Part 1: available at this convenient link.

Thora and Penguins

With Thora now skilled in flight

She traveled around the globe

All the way to Antarctica

Where she met a curious bird

It flew not in air but water

And slid belly down on the ice

Pillars of black and white feathers

Absurdity and warm cuddles.

© Ælfhild Astrædottir 2023

[aelfhild-astraedottir]

Thora and Sleipnir's Sleigh: Part 6

by Ælfhild Astrædottir

If you follow this link: Part 1 awaits!

Yule Eve

Soon Yule Eve itself arrived

The last bundles were stowed away

With rope and net to hold them fast

All was secured in the Sleigh

The aunts were groomed and gleaming

Their nails polished or painted bright

Muscles well fueled by lichens

And hydrating hot cocoa sweet.

The village gathered to watch

As the Sleigh team prepared for launch

The Yule Father himself took care

To fasten their harnesses snug

For comfort and security

Were critical to the mission

No jingle bell may chafe nor snag

No buckle snap or come undone.

While the aunts lined up outside

Row by row at the tundra’s edge

Inside the barn the Sleigh still sat

Awaiting the spark of Yule Eve

Then she came with eyes bright with joy

Thora daughter of Hege wise

Ringing a silver bell so pure

She catalyzed Yule Magic.

An old elf matriarch smiled

Offering pale nimble fingers

She buckled the silver buckles

And opened the barn door wide

Eight hooves strong with youth gripped tight

Eight legs strained against physics

Static friction began to fail

As Thora pulled the Yule Sleigh.

First centimeters one by one

With youthful determination

Energies rising within her

Lights sparking in her ancient blood

And then the Sleigh began to slide

As step by step she drew it on

Leaving the safe and cozy barn

For the cold and vibrant beyond.

Thora drew the sleigh through the village

Emptied by the tundra party

The old elf perched on the Sleigh

The only audience she had

Maiden and Crone leading Magic

Into another Yule Eve Night

And as Thora grew confident

Old energies began to stir.

Through the noble northernmost trees

Thora pulled the Sleigh safely

As the Magic began to spark

Coloured lights dancing about them

They drew within sight of their folk

Under a clear star dazzled sky

Thora drew her neck straight and proud

And felt her antlers branch anew.

Wrapped in aurora bright greens

And ribbons of gay violet light

From her tall, shining new antlers

To her eight sets of polished hooves

She dazzled them all with her fire

Proudly delivering the Sleigh

Which had granted her truest wish

While she honored Yule Magic.

© Ælfhild Astrædottir 2023