Leysa

Leysa Pt I

It dawned on me this morning,

Why the Icelanders call to me,

Why their story holds weight,

Why I continue to read

A tandem causation,

One has a desire to maintain tradition,

The other a refusal to submit to vassalization,

All a call for action

Their bravery to leave home,

Their ancestral lands,

To prioritize their values,

Over systematic demands

The confidence in their ability,

To literally till virgin dirt,

Continuing their way of life,

Resisting demands to convert

Holding values over personal gain,

Holding out on consolidation of power,

Living summer sunshine,

Working through winter shower

Leysa Pt II

I dreamt of exodus,

From society and kin,

A break from all I am,

Free from all I’ve been

It is hard to contemplate,

With the love and loyalty I hold,

To think of leaving them,

How they may think me cold

Separating from all you have ever known,

Is to tear a sprout from its pot,

I fear for the transplantation,

Whether it will survive, thrive, or not

Often a double-edged blade,

Family’s love and family’s judgment,

Pushing and pulling, driving guilt,

A loving internment

So is the attribute, loyalty,

A measure of morality,

Able to wield itself in the wrong hands,

To drive subscribers to insanity