It is not Your cunning that I admire, 
not Your cleverness and scathing wit
so much as the integrity, 
the strength of soul
that allows You to persevere
in the face of inevitable anguish. 

There is no deception in You there, Loki. 
There is only One Who will not be turned
from necessary action. 
There is only One Who will gnaw on fire
rather than swallow the char of ignominy, 
One Who will give Himself up
rather than throw Himself down in cowardice and fear,
One Who will do what needs to be done, 
what He has promised to do, 
knowing that He Himself will pay the price,
meted out by the ignorant, 
and those of small minds and spirits. 

I would stand by You, Loki, 
Scar-lipped and Raving mad at times, 
and I would learn from You, 
how to be a person of integrity. 
Teach me how to walk through fire, 
how to make my spirit strong, 
so that I will not yield
in the face of pressure, or fear, or 
angry punishments. 
Help me to be better, oh Loki, 
than my frail and fragile spirit
knows now how to be….

…and always, be Thou honored. 

Artwork by Lady Northstar.