Night Into Day

for the 100th Anniversary of Finnish Independence 1917-2017 Tell me those stories that cling to your mind as vines of blossoms and nettles cling an old house hiding terrible secrets. Tell me those stories again so I stay awake, alert and prepared for the worst. This night is crucial for all of us. It has never been as easy as we imagined it. There will be a swollen river to ford ahead; a mountain pass will be blocked by a family of trolls; the region you are crossing was ripped from your map book. The radio promised you updates but the only sound you hear is 1980s Rock Music. So repeat the story of the pale-faced fortune-teller and the orphan girl with golden tresses and sad eyes that should shine, or the tale of the last defenders of Lord Paavo's castle, or the final account of the Sampo in the KALEVALA. And finally, as the next day's sun ignites the eastern sky with red fire and dispels yesterday's dark skies and portents, give me one story of love and hope, but do not tell me if it's true or false, and I will carry it deep in my heart all the way home to share it with all of our family assembled by the hearth fire, and it will be a holy prospect for seasons to come.