Nordfjorden

This poem is a tritina, a style of poetry which has a specific format. Three chosen words are repeated in each stanza, at the end of each line. They are repeated in a specific pattern. And then after the three stanzas, there is one final line that uses all three words. The repetition concentrates your attention on the three words. In my case, the three words were what I found inspiring.   

Nordfjorden Tritina

The dark green trees on the granite

Lined the side of the waterfall

In the night when those few minutes were long

The light lasts long

At 5 am, I could see the patterns in the granite

And beautiful white was the waterfall

Alone with the sound of the waterfall

For what more could I long

My amazement remains as solid as granite

For as long as I live, I will remember Nordfjorden, where I watched the waterfall off the granite mountain. 

Nordfjorden is a fjord in Norway, just beyond the arctic circle. We anchored in a little cove with a view out into the fjord. One of the towering granite cliffs had a large waterfall flowing down it. At five in the morning, I went on deck and saw this in the silence and clarity of the morning air. I was struck by this quiet beauty.

Before we anchored in Nordfjorden, we swung by this waterfall, bubbling down a small granite cliff.

This was part of my view as I stood alone in the cool, crisp, morning air. Unfortunately, here most of the granite is hidden from sight.

 This is the view we had as we moved through the fjord. All around us was breathtaking beauty.

Nordfjorden was the farthest North we went. We are now making our way south enjoying some excellent scenery. It reminds me a lot of Chile because there are tall cliffs and dark green slopes on either side of the stunning channels. Large granite domes punctuate the views. Glaciers carved out the U-shaped valleys and fjords in both places, so the geology is similar too. Chile was one of our favorite places and Norway is, so far, much the same. It has a beautiful landscape, the culture and luxuries of Europe, nice people, and interesting history of the Vikings. In all, it is a really fun and interesting place to be.-JackRabbit