2026 NaPM 8 April

[RiverNotch]

Write a poem for National Poetry Month based on the topic described....rather, write a poem set in, pertaining to, or inspired by the given region, whether its entirety or just some part of it, as this year's prompts are going to be unified by the theme "Around the World" like last year's prompts were unified by the theme "Esoterica". Each poem should appear as a separate reply to this thread. There are three levels of participation:

Bronze. Participated at least once.

Silver. Participated every day.

Gold. Participated every day, with all entries either being the same form (e.g., every one a sonnet) or being distinct forms (e.g., no two haiku).


For the next few days, the regions are kept deliberately vague. Today's region is Northern Europe.

[Mark A Becker]

What Time Is It?

I can't imagine living
in the land of the midnight sun.

I would lie awake all night
long after the day was done.

There would be no place go
just to find a normal night-

where it was naturally dark
when I turned out the light.

[dukealien]

North Men


Europe Rome could never quite conquer - northern
Germans, Sweden, Nordic and Danish - served as
cold-fired, manly reservoirs when the Empire
fell into ruin;

Vikings, Normans, Gustav Adolphus stirred its
pot when Europe’s fire had sunk low and smoky–
Thor and Wotan, Lutheran Reformation
seasoned the broth.

Even now the rivers of Norway rushing
to their fjords must generate Britain’s power...
and remind the British of when one must get
rid of the Dane.

[RiverNotch]

The End of an Age


Iron instead, the metal that turns blood red
when exposed to such agents of life as air and water,
would to the Nordic giant prove herald of death.

Hammers, axes, spears, arrows, and swords
would crack their skulls, would pierce their sides, would split
their joints as if they were livestock being butchered,

and all by hands much smaller than theirs, by heads
much less possessed of vision, much more to reason
and to cooperation's prospects bound,

by hearts that nevertheless were moved to claim
divinity for pathetic figureheads:
when all the giants were gone, from up their graves
sprang gods of brass and steel to take their place.

[dukealien]

The End of an Age


Iron instead, the metal that turns blood red
when exposed to such agents of life as air and water,
would to the Nordic giant prove herald of death.

Hammers, axes, spears, arrows, and swords
would crack their skulls, would pierce their sides, would split
their joints as if they were livestock being butchered,

and all by hands much smaller than theirs, by heads
much less possessed of vision, much more to reason
and to cooperation's prospects bound,

by hearts that nevertheless were moved to claim
divinity for pathetic figureheads:
when all the giants were gone, from up their graves
sprang gods of brass and steel to take their place.

Excellent!  And then the Gods of the Copybook Lessons return, but with mechanized avatars...

[Mark A Becker]

... oops

[ilovewomenandbeer]

Icelandic Bar

gold locks—
wind-burned

spindled
bearded brothers—
Icelandic inked skin

bar—
I ask for his drink

he offers
barley—
fine as wine

[wasellajam]

Alice Welcomes Winter

Her parents were from Norway;
her grandfather lost at sea,
which her mom said was common.
When we cleared Mawmaw's house
even the linen closet shelves were adorned,
edged with flat bands of crocheted bells.

Alice was steeped in ancestral tea:
sleek enameled silver,
intricate tatting starched into bowls
heavily salted homemade food laced
with cream and butter that no one could resist
and thinly sliced brown bread
topped with egg and anchovies.

December began with the first cookie bake;
she knocked out a new type every other day
for two weeks as the stacks of tins
piled up on every surface.

One year, missing some Christmas favorites
her family wouldn't touch,
we dove into a day long recipe that resulted
in an a loaf of aspic, meat and caraway,
the start of our late month lunches together,
her grinning face lit with youth.

When she could no longer handle
the many steps I did, but today
when I went to check
the spelling of Kalvesus
all I could find was the Swedish kalvsylta,
no caraway.