Written for a competition at Highland Foorde, April 2010
Loki slyly slipped into Asgard
Planning trouble for Thor, thunder-god
Loki starts to scream and shake
Great wailing from god's throat
Gods of Asgard assemble at once
"Tell us, Loki," says Tyr One-Hand
"Why such noise? What have you seen
That scares you, Sleipnir's mother?"
Loki replied "A rampaging beast,
Giant thing, with great wide horns
Feet to trample freely roaming
Below in Midgard bides this beast"
Mighty Thor throws head back
Laughs long and laughs loud
"No beast in Midgard brings me fright
I will kill it since Loki cannot" (16)
Loki brings gods over Bifrost to Midgard
To frozen field where feeds the beast
An ancient elk enormous as ocean
In its horns a king's hall would fit
Thor paused proud warrior
He knew strength saw it in moose
No easy fight against Midgard elk
But battle-war worthy of Thor
Spoke Loki: "Shameful it was
That I was frightened. No fangs on it,
No sharp claws; a cow it is.
A simple task for Thor today."
With mighty Mjollnir Met Thor the moose
Slammed the hammer home in its shoulder
The great elk staggered giant beast stumbled
But mountain-moose managed its feet (32)
Turned it to Thor tossing its head
Thunder-god caught in tree of antler
Thor is thrown high over hill
Sails in the sky til sight fails to see him
Said Tyr to Loki: "Look, a mad moose
Blinded with pain, beginning a charge
Coming to trample and Thor is gone
Your clever trick will kill you, Loki."
"Not so," said Loki, sprinting to moose
"Catch me!" he taunted called to the elk
Over snow he flew fox-footed god
Moose followed him fixed in purpose
Towards a tree traveled the trickster
At last he leapt leaves embraced
Came on the elk enormous beast
Antlers as high as heaven's vault (48)
Down fell the moose flailing its feet
Into a pit placed at tree's roots
Elk snorts and paws escape it cannot
Loki throws spear Simple task
Golden-haired Sif great her anger
Fine husband Thor made foolish by Loki
"A trophy be taken," she tells the gods
"Elk's great antlers an honor for Loki"
She fashions a helmet fine its make
Antlers affixed adornments on helm
Ridiculous gift refused cannot be
Lest Sif take offense and summon Thor
Huge antler-hat on head of Loki
Traitor-god smiles despite Sif's gift
Today he made a moose and Thor fight
And Thor lost - Loki is pleased
Blog posts
Gathering period moose information
Yet more moose information
Framing the project
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