August 12th, 2002

Grey eyes sharply gazing
Into the darkness
Of nothingness

Fiercely gazing on her foe
Raising her shield
Her eyes veiled

Eowyn, Eomund’s daughter
Released from secrecy
Golden her hair blows freely

Lifting her sword unsheathed
Letting it fall swiftly
On the fell beast

Slaying the evil creature
It lies
Never to rise

Up from the ruin of his steed

Toiling under heavy hearts
Tol Brandir begins to depart
Boromir has passed down Anduin roaring
With songs of lament that goes on pouring
Forth Three Hunters! Your comrades are calling!

The Ringbearer has left for the Nameless land
With the only one companion devoted Sam
Gandalf has fallen under immense shadow
His journey they were not to follow

From the Shire
Three is company
Then short cut to mushrooms
Dinner at farmer Maggot’s
Song at the Barrow Downs
To the inn at Bree
Eaten at Midge Water Marshes
Then on to Weathertop
Knife in the dark
Stop at Trollshawe
Flight to the Ford
Healed at Rivendell
Council of Elrond
Then to the passage south
Over Caradhas
Down Caradhas
Through the Mines of Moria

Frodo, as dear to me as my Gaffer, grew up in the Shire, a peaceful quiet farmland. I knew him since the time that I was young; and he came to Hobbiton from Buckleberry when his mother and father died. Full of adventure and youth he was when in his younger happier years.

Pounding the earth of passing plains
Swiftly he paced, and glimmered in gray
Lifted his neck, and neighed gay
Ran faster from fear above, the ringwraith

Away to the White Towers in proud, strong Gondor
To safe refuge he paced with burdens of two
Pausing and lifting his head to the moon new
He called of rank, and summoned his followers

“Mourn not overmuch mighty was the fallen”

These staves he spoke
On the back of war
Death brought to the field
Sorrow the city held
White towers rose to greet
The bier bearers
Walking through the street

King’s crown has been given
Rejoicing all sung
Now all the sorrow
Is poured out to the one they love

Banners of green and white
Herald the death of grief

November 20, 2004

Look to the west,
And hear my voice
Upon the crashing waves.
I promise you
I have found peace.
By your grace I have been saved.
Please understand
How hard it was
To leave you on the shore,
And for letting me
Set sail that day
I love you all the more.

No mortal fear
Can harm me here,
No darkness lives behind my eyes.
Free at last
From injury past,

A number of thoughts have been running through my mind of late, on the subject of J. R. R. Tolkien in relationship to the recent films put out, based upon the first and second books of his trilogy. I would be apt to suppose the dear man in a most wearying state of despondency if I did not believe him to be in Heaven by now. If he is, it is a wondrous mercy, and if not, alas!

“There is no greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend.” Most everyone has heard these words before, I suppose. Indeed the statement has become so familiar to us as to make it hard for us to look deeper to grasp their full meaning.