The Other Mound

an Anglo-Saxon mystery

image: eran menashri/unsplash

They scraped
the grave ship to its ribs,
and plucked
the preserved fruits
from the warrior-king’s
side — fragments
of a sun god’s helmet,
eyes in eclipse,
a drinking horn’s
embellished lip,
shoulder clasps of garnet
interlaced with gold,
a sword blade
broken into shards,
an enamelled purse
tooled to perfection,
the accoutrements of dust,
tagged by scholars
and placed behind glass.