Challenging Poetry

Iceland: Under the Northern Lights

the elves still live there—
abandoning easier lands
for this volcanic border:
ice and fire.
the land is young, still.
the night is theirs,
and their rock dwellings.
under the pale green curtains
that hide the moon
and the stars,
the elves ride,
chasing grey foxes
and unwary tourists
into the wild.

Author's Note ▼

One of the things that I remember from my research was that in this land of the young (the average age in Iceland is mid 30s, there's a great emphasis placed on tradition. The language is closer to its roots than other languages, and people admit to believing in elves--or at least, they don't admit to not believe in them. In fact, roads in Iceland are sometimes diverted because a rock would be displaced--because that rock is associated with the elves.
It made me want to visit to meet this kind of people.