His Quest to master Ecstasy
and gain Valhalla’s apogee
drove Odin’s cryptic sacrifice
by hanging on the famed world tree.
He spent nine days near his demise
so he could glean the runes, grow wise.
The words revealed life’s paradox —
a man reborn can conquer vice.
Without an act, thought opens locks;
by changing view, new fortune knocks.
While being still, a path appears
and tosses loss upon the rocks.
His mind had shed his former fears
by seeing life in sets of tiers
to know all life is joined, adheres
to other life as earth to spheres.
© Gay Reiser Cannon * 02.11.15. All Rights Reserved
Beachanny's Texas 
that is cool storytelling gay – and it flows so naturally and i was so sucked into the topic that i totally forgot it is form poetry – and when that happens, it’s just perfect
Yes, intriguing poetic, where the form never asserts itself, as well as the definitive illustration of your called for prompt rhyme scheme; twas fun too. I like your lines /while being still, a path appears/and tosses loss upon the rocks.
This is brilliant.. Those old myths can work so well in a form like this.. actually brings back the purpose of the form is to bring music to storytelling. To me, meter has always helped me bring the narrative forward — and I love the rhyme pair of Ecstasy and apogee.
This is another of my poems exploring the Tarot Cards of the Major Arcana. The Hanged Man is marked 0 of the 23 cards and was difficult for me to find a way to “cut in”. I think this form helped me to successfully explore that nature of sacrifice and paradox that Odin’s act represents.
amazing tale, Gay… Like Claudia – the form totally when out the window while reading… Especially love the last stanza – him shedding all his former fears
Smooth, clean, true to form. Good stuff.
You have mastered the form, Gay, and have told the tale well. If only all fears could be shed…. I have had a busy day today, thus will try to come up with something tomorrow if I can. Wonderful prompt.
do like the story you’ve told… the form worked well with it
Neat!
Oh just so perfect!
Anna :o]
The rhyming scheme works so well Gay ~ I love the myth and this part specially:
The words revealed life’s paradox —
a man reborn can conquer vice.
Love the paradoxes that you employ in this. “Without an act, thought opens locks”, etc. Nicely done!
Fantastic execution of the form, intriguing story, and some very brilliant lines. Yay!
You’ve interpreted the form perfectly, even down to the four rhymes in the final stanza. I like that you have used near rhymes, to get away from the doggerel effect which sometimes come from rhyming tetrameter. Fearsome topic!
the rhyme and rhythm pull your story along and give it a traveling feel…..
of course i like near rhymes as well…mine is up….but, i am not sure…ha….
i was feeling the doggerel effect as viv says last night while writing….ha
Very well done. 🙂
Have you read “American Gods” by Neil Gaiman ? The Nordic Gods play a prominent role and the sacrificial hero plays a significant role in the narrative. It is an excellent novel.
I have explored archetypes, tarot and mythology on a number of my posts on the Dark Pines Photo blog. MY blog, Implied Spaces is more experimental in content and media forms. It includes exploration and re-imaging of folklore and faerie tales in the context of new mass media forms.
I love it .esp. the last paragraph! It sings and I want to write more of these.
Your voice doesn’t feel restricted by form at all. This feels free-flowing and effortless. You’ve mastered this style.
Nice to be free…………..
Oh, you know how I love legends, Gay….
Come on Gay, give us a link to this fascinating story! I know nothing of Odin, except what I just read in Wiki to try and understand your fine poem. Apparently he was a shaman — and interestingly a god who brought us poetry (so the fable goes).
A marvelous story with insight into connectedness. I’d love to know if you gave this story to Odin or he came with it from long ago.
Either way, marvelous rhyme and rhythm to carry the weight of wisdom: an amalgam of Taoism, Buddhism and such (?New Age)
Ah, I read the comments about the Tarot card — that helped a little.
Sabio – I think I referred a lot to some research I made here: http://norse-mythology.org/tales/odins-discovery-of-the-runes/ I think the site has a great deal more information regarding him. I already knew a little based on the Tarot card foundation, but not as much as this. I don’t think this relates to New Age much. It has connections to Christianity though in this figure – he is somewhat Christ like as he is a god himself, comes close to death and then resumes, changed or transformed by the sacrifice he made to himself, for knowledge, and understanding. It was a massive subject for a 16 line poem, I suppose!