Autumn rolled on as the months passed. The Skald finished his first semester courses in time to celebrate his birthday in a state of total rest. December was not so cold in Oslo as one might have expected. January made up for it, however, when winter arrived in earnest. After that birthday rest, however, a protracted fight with doctoral program applications commenced. It dragged on longer than expected, running into mid January, but at last it was finished. The new year brought a new semester, the last of the Skald’s MA in Viking & Medieval Norse Studes, which held some long-awaited treats: his master’s thesis and an advanced runology course, the latter to be examined by trial lecture. Once in the thick of things, the Skald considered his situation, and composed this verse:

The turning wheel brought time for rest,
as I completed courses and passed the solstice.
The future is foggy for my further studies,
but at last the apps are left behind,
clearing my mind for the current work.
The final stretch I face this spring,
as the climbing sun calls to my soul,
as the longer light is lifting me up.
I honor Óðinn for the ale of inspiration
and call to Bragi for a builder’s craft
in working words with wode and eloquence
for a thought-filled thesis, thick with the ferment
of a strong-strain yeast on my studious years,
and the final treat of a trial lecture
on the elder and younger of the ancient runes.

Copyright © 2016 Eirik Westcoat.
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