Ash: Poems From Norse Mythology
Jeff Mann

In Ash, acclaimed poet Jeff Mann has created a haunting and intense examination of Norse mythology, extending from the creation of the universe to its end in the flames of Ragnarok.  Here are many voices: All-Father Odin, bound to the World Tree; Thor, the protector of mankind and battler of monsters; Balder, the gentle god treacherously slain; Sigurd, killer of a gold-hoarding dragon; Brynhild, love-sick and vengeful Valkyrie; and Surt, the demon who burns the earth and sky to ash.  Here are many worlds: a seething snake-pit, a burning mead hall, an open tomb, Valhalla’s vigorous feasting and lovemaking, fir forests and Nordic snows.  These poems range from the speech of gods and heroes to autobiographical lyrics that use myth as an entry into eternal human concerns:  love, hate, loss, death, and rebirth.