301: Of Fantasies and Fictions

My bookshelf came furnished

with Freud and Jung, with political treaties

and dreaded histories

of battles long since won,

of three swords carved of stone,

of holy knights in the cold depths of cathedrals,

and pious priests in prayer

before a man crucified

for reasons I didn't understand.

I looked for the holes: the fantasies and fictions,

the carefully hidden stories

of a past before cathedrals and crucifixions,

when swords were made of metal

and kings only ruled

their families and farm hands.

A distilled past, vibrant and alive,

in runes and children's stories,

where gods walked country roads

and carried ships on their backs

to foreign lands and treasured halls —

when life and death were feats of honour

and poetry could make or break,

when all we thought about was living

without the shadow of our past.

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Author's note: Although this poem draws on events and figures in Norwegian and Nordic history, it is not intended as an accurate representation of these events and figures.

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Written by: Katrine Hjulstad

Instagram: @katrinehjulstad

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Publisher's note: All poetry published with Eudaemonia Records has been viewed and commented on by our editors. Ultimately, however, we believe that it is the writer's decision to accept or reject any suggestions made by the editors, and therefore take no responsibility for the final product.