The sun rises and daylight floods across the fields of night,
The moon's faintly in the sky, then even it's caused to die.
But one man stood in the cold light of dawn, eyes looking old
As he watched the sun rise and it's glow shone in his eyes.

"I saw you devour her," he said gently. "You hurt her.
You, sun, with all forms of life under you, yet you seek strife.
Things do not grow in moonlight, and in you they feel delight.
You warm them and caress them, they grow as your light lets them."

He looked at the brightening sky, his eyes amber. "Why'd she die,
Old sun?" His voice a deep growl that almost became a howl.
"I pledged my devotion to her! There is no need to kill her
Jealous one, your light is fair but hers is so much more rare.

"She is more than reflection to your light, we who dare shun
You have chosen her cold way over your far too bright day."
"I gave her my love," he said. "And for that you wish her dead
For this thing and for others. Must we all call you father?

"We were born seeing your eyes, can we not choose her disguise?
I would choose the changeling moon over your light. Call a doom
On me as you will. I choose madness over reason, choose
Change over burning rays until the ending of days."

The sun made no reply then. The man slept, then woke again
To find his family slain, faces filled with terrible pain,
Eyes glazed with numb disbelief. "No!" He howled, screaming his grief.
He looked down at his clenched fists, saw blood on them, slit his wrists.

Sunlight woke him healed, his arms pale, unblemished and unharmed.
He looked up at the sunlight that had revived him and fright
Filled him, then. "I can not die?" he almost laughed, half a cry
That tried to smother his fears - some things are too deep for tears.

He walked outside. The sun shone so very bright. "Are you done?"
He snarled, his anger suddenly wild. "I lost my wife and my child!
Ripped their throats out with my teeth!" But the truth brought no relief.
"I did not want them to die!" But the sun just shined on high.

He pledged himself to the moon as the sun dispelled night's gloom
And vowed he would destroy it: "You will die," he said to it.
"You made me a wolf, to slay my own family this day.
This I swear, by blood and death: I will someday be your death!

"Shine on, unforgiving fire, you have stopped my hearts desire
But someday I will eat you. For love I will destroy you."
A wolf will destroy the sun when the worlds end has begun,
And its light finally die. But no one asks Fenrir why.

- Josh MacLeod, 2001 (revised 2002).