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# Viking Raid
- URL: https://www.hawkword.com/poetry/viking-raid/
- Published: 2022-10-04T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2022-10-04T12:00:00.000Z
- Description: Restless church bells ring their towers and the air tastes of alarm.
- Author: A. Gee
- Tags: Poetry, Allpoetry Import, #Import 2026-04-25 19:56

Restless church bells ring their towers  
and the air tastes of alarm.

They will be here within hours --  
sun, suspicious, masks its charm  
and retreats to safer quarters  
as the village hides its daughters  
and the blacksmith hands out swords.  
Witches sell a few more wards.

At the square, the townsfolk gather...

Some will bring a thing of gold.  
Others, stock. A few would rather  
die in fighting than grow old,  
but the town will try to barter --  
most would rather live than martyr.

See tomorrow, having paid.  
If they can...

A Viking raid.