I.
I heard the Helhest—
Uneven-hoofed, clomping—
Close.

Breath expelled,
Wheezing—
A metallic scream,
Chilling to the bone.

Not meant for mortal ears,
Yet it pierced through
To soul.

II.
Three-legged,
Pale horse—
Omen of the funerary path.

Grave-given,
Soul-led
Down to Helheim,
Realm of the Goddess Hel.

You meet me there—
Where illness and sickness
Lift their strokes from my back.

And I face You,
Trembling—
Knowing the weight of my life.

Death’s concern,
And my own limits
Held close.

Dearest Hel,
This life could still be great—
If grounded
Both here and there.

So agreement made,
I begin to learn
Balance between realms.

III.
Death arrives with flair—
Her horse whinnying,
Hooves pounding earth—

My heart beats
As I wake in fright.

She comes silent,
In stillness.

The Helhest steps forward
From the mist—
Long-faced, skeletal,
Hide stretched thin.

A guide appears
At the edge of both realms.

I am alive—
But living is the sacrifice
For such help.

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