Lothlorien & Returning to Lorien

[written_leaves]

White and golden, gold and white

A longer poem in homage to the beauty and peace of timeless Lothlorien, Dreamflower.

With it I'm placing a sonnet written from Aragorn's point of view as he returns to Lorien, remembering his time there with Arwen in the past.

Lothlorien

Golden Wood of sunlight, a cloth woven fine
With silver threads of ancient moonlit trees.
Evenings and daybreaks weave on the loom of Time
A verdant brocade of textured amber and green.
Springtime whispers secrets to Autumn’s listening peace.
Petals of starry blossoms scented sweet
White and golden, gold and white,
Gracefully mingle with fallen leaves,
Dance slowly together amid the trees.
Scattering in the soft breath of night.

Peacefully standing beside the river,
A quiet place, a soft banner furled.
The world rushes and eddies past you ever,
Time, frothing past with its eddies and swirls
Fails to touch the still waters of your pool,
The ageless hues of morning and evening;
Silver stars and starry blossoms. A mural of
White petals, leaves, sun and moon,
Slight traces of years against you leaving.
Brush-marks of age flutter down from above.

Silver falling Nimrodel, softly singing,
Whispers your story to herself in the night.
To those who listen a tale she is bringing
Her murmur-shining voice remembers, recites;
Clean and clear waters from pure and cool snows.
No evil here but what you yourself have wrought
In the dark-beating depths of your mortal heart.
No evil but what you enclose
Hidden where mind and soul allow no thought.
Herein are the choices that set you apart.

One day the voices that sing within your boughs
Will be stilled by the passing of their time.
Dead leaves will gather in your silent founts,
The stars will go unanswered in their rhymes.
The pool of Time will lay empty and dry,
The wild nettles encroach with abandon.
With the children of dawn no longer dwelling,
No longer holding back the tide,
The Ages rush in and leave none standing;
The last timeless haven swiftly felling.

Time washes over the Wood and its people –
Smoothing the edges that once sharply stood.
Turning and turning in the circle of years
Bright tumbled sea-glass, silken driftwood.
Refinement reveals your changing beauty;
You cannot stay apart always.
You know that Sorrow will one day find you.
For now you will lay at peace, caressed, soothing
Warm breezes, sweetly scented elanor-days
Of dreaming under skies of changing blue.

Gentle rest and starry blossoms;
At peace among your silver stars and fountains.
Sweet interlude for travelers,
Dreamflower of the Elves.

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Returning to Lorien

My longing, this forgotten realm of gold,
Here within my heart has slept, among dreams;
Deep beneath fallen drifts of aged leaves,
Sunlight helf from all mortal eyes of old,
Still kept within my mem’ries grasp to hold –
O Lorien! How long ago it seems,
And yet you dwell amid the silvered beams
And within bright columns do life enfold.
In great need we enter your gold and green,
My desire would be never to depart.
My weary eyes drink in all that once had been
So blooming and fresh – sweet, your lips did part

To speak out as song all your love could deem
To bestow such as I this very heart.

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