Words beneath a dappled sky

Weep
For those seeking the Havens,
For the land will be barren of much that was fair.

Another 'musical' one, this time for the Grey Havens and if I were a writer of music I would perhaps place it to an Irish tune with a lilt for the sea.

The Havens
( There’s a waiting ship )

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My time with you seems now an
Unreachable glory of the past,
A work of minstrels and mages.

Two more for Sam, left behind to make his life with his family and not without memories of his own.

A Rose for the Master
( I hope wherever he's gone to now, There are roses in the spring )

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I Have Held
( I have held this hour in my hands )

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He said I was meant to be whole,
And that wholeness surrounds me;
I must find a way to soak it into my heart.

And finally - "I'm back"....

This brings the 'story' to its ending for my poetry listings that follow the events of the books in order, but there are a handful more to follow, some observations, thoughts and bits from the appendices.

Back Home
( Entering, I gather her in )

-

Plant it carefully, Sam

What better symbol of healing, and what finer gift? A piece for Sam's bit of earth entrusted to him, better than any gold.

Sam's Box
( Entrusted to your gardener’s heart )

-

Behold the ruin, the ravaged Shire,
The trees are felled and burned with fire

Two for the ravaged Shire - what a terrible loss, and what a terrible, vengeful blow they found upon their homecoming. Merry 'should have stuffed that pouch down his throat' as he said.

Scouring
( Alas for the shade and the loam )

-
The Party Tree
( Eyes that had faced down great evil unflinching now burst into tears )

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Glory and Trumpets!

For anyone who has been reading through the dark and angsty war-torn poetry set, you would be well excused to forget there could be lighter topics - at last, the 'happy ending' (at least before the sad ending) is begun. Cormallen is from Sam's point of view with an aim of capturing that blend of poetic and simple country that so characterized his turns of phrase.

Cormallen
( What joy is this that awakens my sight? )

-

I pity you, that your hopes yet live;
I am sorry that I must see
Them die.

Of the two lives left on that mountain, only one of them was ready to live - and really, he was the only reason for the other to even bother with drawing another breath.

Not Remembering
( It is better this way, Sam; the not remembering )

-

When death is nigh and storms abound
Deep within my heart
I find your words.

Two for Sam, who persevered. The first is for his Gaffer, without whose horse-sense wisdom he would have been adrift and the second for the intensity he dealt with in watching his Master falling deeper beneath his burden and into the edges of madness. Gaffer is somewhat based on a song by Michael Card that he wrote for his own grandfather.

Gaffer
( You never knew how much I'd need your words )

-
Stranger
( A stranger is watching me from your eyes )

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Before I launch into the set for Return of the King - Time for some random lighter bits of verse!

Two short bits that still amuse me even after all this time, one for the lack of love lost between Sam and Gollum, the other for that dramatic moment when Boromir lunges for the Ring and ends up eating leaves.

Sam Considers Gollum
( Your eyes a buggin' )

-
Lots of Roughage
( Gimme dat. )

-

So near to darkness, green life holds sway

I've always had a love for plants and for simple gardening, perhaps that is part of why Ithilien remains one of my favorite places in M-e, the idea of a garden overgrown, the life just beneath the neglect. The first poem is a gentler verse for the bit of broth Sam made there, before meeting Faramir - the second is for the window beneath the waterfall of Henneth Annun and the contrast of its color and light with the darkness the men were dwelling in behind it.

Ithilien
( A gardener's hands are among you )

-
Window on the West
( Deep memories of some heart’s desire )

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