Marks of Iceland

A step on ice makes more noise than thoughts

An eruption speaks more than a thousand talks

And we — just shadows, barely seen

Marks on Iceland, fading in between

Island of Vikings, of elves, of puffins

Of fjords so deep, and skies that swallow

You find yourself there, for no clear reason

And silence teaches more than any season

The ground is steaming, the earth sweats

Waterfalls that pierce through time

Your heart slows down, your gaze resets

Before a land so raw, sublime

Dormant craters under soft white snow

The wind howls prayers only mountains know

It shows you who you are, no comfort given

A geothermal god, fierce and driven

(so who are we?)

(just echoes at the edge of the ice)

Your hand fades in my breath

Lost in rising steam

And those wild mountains, that depth

Carry nature’s dream

A bond with the whole wide sky

I tremble, and I know why

Yes I bow, and I don’t ask why

Barren, desolate, harsh and proud

Each stone holds an ancient vow

We cross the ridges of the earth

Believing we’re giants — just grains of dirt

Rugged lands that beat the wind

Northern lights stretch out and bend

The sea takes you, then lets you go

Where time itself forgets to flow

A bond with the whole wide sky

I tremble, and I know why

Yes I bow, and I don’t ask why

Your hand fades in my breath

Lost in rising steam

And those wild mountains, that depth

Carry nature’s dream

A bond with the whole wide sky

I tremble, and I know why

Yes I bow, and I don’t ask why

A geyser explodes like a furious god (boom!)

An empty road under endless fog (zoom!)

A troll-shaped rock watches from above

While the aurora dances like a spell of love

We’re lost in sheep, mud and sky

Backpacks full of breath and awe

We make no mark, and that’s just fine

Here, nature writes the only law

(the wind roars back. then calm. final chorus rises)

Your hand fades in my breath

Lost in rising steam

And those wild mountains, that depth

Carry nature’s dream

A bond with the whole wide sky

I tremble, and I know why

Yes I bow, and I don’t ask why

Iceland breathes, ignores, reclaims

And we — just goosebumps, barely names

We came here to understand,

But we only witnessed.

And that’s enough.

We are marks.

And what an honor

To be marks

On a canvas so vast.