26 December 2018

Dnieper Rapids

I'm in the middle of writing a historical fiction short story. The plot is about a British teen who is enslaved by Viking raiders, then taken to Kievan Rus'. Along the way a skald sings about rapids on the Dnieper River. The place names I've only seen in print and never heard pronounced. I hope they rhyme.

From the Valdai Hills, the Dnieper River flows.
Mostly south to the Black Sea it goes.
There are rapids all along with twists and turns.
The count is nine rapids where the water churns.
Most are quite a fall. Only two are navigable
And the rest of them only spell trouble.
"Don't sleep!" at the first named Kodatsky. 
"Island Waterfall" is the second at Sursky.
After that Lohansk's quite a zinger.
Dzvonesky's a real bell ringer.
Nenasytec's very naughty and violent.
At Vovnyzky the waves are turbulent.
At Budylo be sure to rouse
Or waves'll splash over the prows.
The term "rapid" is superfluous at Lyshny.
Finally, you're free at Vil'ny.