Sit with me, bundled up, in cold crisp air.
This aft cabin deck, sailing through fjiords,
the widest aperture to wonder we will see.
The long gaze observes staggering beauty.
Craning to look up provides a granular view,
landscape etched and carved by glaciers.
Snow capped mountains glisten before us,
pearlescent as sunlight touches peaks
grey and darker grey where shadows impede.
Below wintry remnants yet to melt
earthen tones dotted by green patches
compliment the scene.
Not content with singular grandeur,
mirrored reflections ripple,
swaying colors float on ocean’s blue.
Off ship, we explore Geiranger.
Van slowly chugs up hairpin turns
until road stops where winter has not.
Our ship sits far far below us
like a monopoly or lego piece
set in a mural of wondrous beauty.
We simply stare in awe
in profound silence,
and we understand.
We are but a few breaths
in the life of this earth.
She is the grandeur eternal.
Written for dVerse, the virtual pub for poets. I’m host for today’s Tuesday Poetics.
I have a second poem written today for Toads, with a wonderful video from our walk to day. You may want to check it out as well!
Given that so many people are sheltering at home during these challenging days, and almost everyone has cancelled recent travel plans, I thought it might be fun for dVerse folks to offer a travelogue of sorts….take you places while you’re sitting at home.
So the prompt is this: the title of the poem must be like a pin in a map: that is a place. The body of the poem must take us there with its words and imagery. I’ve also asked folks to post photos of the place, if that’s possible. Given that dVerse poets are from across the globe, literally, I think you’ll have a grand time reading our poetics today. Pub opens at 3 pm Boston time.
Photos from our 2017 trip to the Norwegian Fjiords.
lillian the home poet 
A place my husband has been without me, one I would love to visit. I’ve been watching a Norwegian TV series on BBC4, which was set in the fjords. I love the opening line – what an invitation, Lill! – and the description in these lines is vivid:
‘Snow capped mountains glisten before us,
pearlescent as sunlight touches peaks
grey and darker grey where shadows impede.’
And such a beautiful ending!
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So glad you enjoyed. I wonder if the series is available in the US in any way? Can you share the name of the series?
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It’s Twin. The male lead was in Game of Thrones.
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I have never been there on ships but I have traveled there many times, from very young to a few years ago. One of the most memorable ones was to kayak in one of the narrowest ones and it was simply amazing in the company of porpoises and seals.
The landscape has a way of silence you I think
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Oh….I think it would be amazing to kayak in the fjords. We did take an excursion on a small boat on the Llysefjord Fjord….it had us much closer to the water and definitely had a more intimate feel. Stunning views of waterfall and sheer mountains towering 1500 fee above sea level. The Norwegian Fjords cruise is one I defintely sant to so again…and then, at its end, perhaps find a place to stay in Geiranger for a week. So so beautiful! That trip we stopped also in Flam, Bergen, Alesund, and Stavenger. I loved all of them.
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The Fjord we Kayaked in is the next one to Flåm… Näröyfjorden, no big boats could go there, but you might have taken a shorter trip from Flåm into Gudvangen. on a smaller boat.
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That ship does look like a lego piece down below.
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Amazing, right? Puts everything in perspective in terms of what is powerful….humanity or mother nature.
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Lillian, it looks like a long walk back to the ship. Magnificent photos. I love the green bits on the mountains.
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Ah….thank goodness we rode in the van back to the boat. But we also meandered around the small town….which is totally surrounded by these magnificent mountains….in fact I would say “a town nestled in” is a great description.
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Surrounded by mountains has got to be the most secure feeling in the world!
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Thanks for sharing. Your ship being a toy far far away reminds me of Skagway, Alaska, dropping down a steep canyon, seeing the cruise ships before the town.
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It really puts it all in perspective, right?
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I DID sit with you until my nose was cherry red from the cold! What a marvelous journey we traveled. I enjoyed every minute.
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So glad to have you with me, Beverly! I am so enjoying travelling with everyone on this prompt!
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Have enjoyed these travelogues! This one goes on my bucket list! Love, Nan
Sent from my iPhone
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It is a place we definitely want to get back to! Perhaps a Jahnke/Gehrke/Hallberg trip? Oh how we would LOVE that!
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you describe the ancient awesomeness of the region well!
Serene vast beauty … I cycled alongside one of those fjiords many moons ago … thanks for the trip down memory lane
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Cycling though this area must indeed be wonderful! So glad you enjoyed.
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it was totally invigorating … my favourite sightseeing is usually done by bicycle 🙂
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Wow! What a beautiful trip to take… The reflections are spectacular…
Not content with singular grandeur,
mirrored reflections ripple,
swaying colors float on ocean’s blue.
Just a breath is all we are…
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So glad you enjoyed, Dwight. It is a trip we are anxious to retake!
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It looks magnificant in those fiords.
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Ah, Lillian – I feel like my chest opened properly for the first time in days. I do love travelling with you – such detail – you write like an artist.
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Oh you are too kind, Sarah. I’m so glad you enjoyed this special place with me. It is a trip we are hoping to make again….same cruise but to then end the trip by spending a week plunked down in one of the beautiful and simple towns. We fell in love with Norway.
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Beautiful post, Liliian, you’ve got me “pining for the fjords”. like that parrot in the Monty Python sketch!!
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