Tuesday

Tiu, the Norse god of war,

One of many Norse gods of war,

For the Norse were fierce and loved war.

They bristled in their vests made of goat hair,

Smelling of dried blood, eating half-cooked reindeer meat.

The Norse gave us Tuesday,

Passing it through various Teutonic filters

Until the Romans,

Who bristled in their vests made of metal mesh,

Smelling of dried blood, eating fish and rice,

Connected the day with the red planet, Mars,

The god of war.

Today, I fear, the god of war will be honored

In many countries: Syria, Libya, Palestine, and Mali,

To name a few.

--June 11, 2013