A Seasonal Sonnet ~ Why Do We Kiss Beneath The Mistletoe?

Sweet Baldur, gentle god of summer light,

beloved by all the earth and sea and sky,

foresaw the world descending into night,

eternal darkness should he ever die.

Distraught, his mother, Frigg, then called upon

each bird and beast, each rock and plant and tree.

All vowed to never do him harm, save one,

the mistletoe, who did not hear Frigg’s plea.

In Loki’s hands, the plant became a dart,

a weapon, sharp and deadly as a knife,

which pierced sweet Baldur cleanly through the heart.

But Frigg’s devotion brought him back to life.

The plant became her sign of love, and so

that’s why we kiss beneath the mistletoe.