A 17th of May salute

Grandsons of Norway and their sisters
flip through photographs.
And as they do they brim with Nordic pride.
Those snapshots trigger memories
of stories they have heard
and of the ones who told them who have died.

These proud descendants of the ones who
left their native land
determine to uphold their legacy.
These grandsons and granddaughters
of the immigrants that came
bear resemblance to their kin who crossed the sea.

In them we see the Vikings’ spirit
seeking out success
courageously exploring better ways.
And I am who I speak of
as I wave the red and blue
on the 17th of May and other days.

* My maternal grandfather immigrated from Norway in 1905. In writing this poem I salute his courage and ancestry.