A verse for Thurday

This is a poem I wrote some time ago; some of you will be familiar with it, who have been at the old Fanclub message boards, and who followed my Son of Gondor tale. It came to mind as I was watching the ROTK EE last night, seeing the white walls of Minas Tirith and the sorrow of those who Boromir left behind.

The poem was written shortly after my hubby and I were forced to suddenly leave our home in the Pakistani city where we had been living and working. So it is actually a double lament -- Boromir's, and my own.

Please note the mood icon. ;-) I am not in a melancholy mood today -- I am quite cheerful in fact! But it seemed like a good day to post this, and to remember how far I have come since then.

WHEN WILL I SEE YOU AGAIN?

So far away!
When will I see you again?
My White City,
Set upon the knee of Mindolluin.
You face East and do not shrink
At the shadow of the Dark Land opposite;
Rather, you glory in the fire, and in the brightness
That glows from your walls and towers
When the dawn breaks.

So far away!
When will I see you again?
My White City,
Like a ship, a ship of stone;
Strong and enduring are you,
Foremost in the defense of Gondor!
I stand like a mariner on the battlements
And look out over your walls and your gates,
My feet feel your strength, and I stand firm.

So far away!
When will I see you again?
My White Tower,
Standing tall on the heights of stone,
Like a spike of pearl and silver that glitters in the clear air;
My heart leaps when I hear the silver trumpets ring out,
And the snapping of the banners in the breeze,
And the calling of the Guards of the Citadel
In the Court of the Fountain.

So far away!
When will I see you again,
My brother?
I miss your presence by my side!
Younger you are, yet wiser in many ways,
Reader of hearts, gentle in bearing,
But ever courageous and fearless in danger.
No rivalry between us, only love;
Brother of mine, I wish you were with me.

So far away!
When will I see you again?
Gondor, my country!
Land of stone that stands ever as a bulwark against evil,
And guards the Great River and the passage to the Sea;
By your valor are peace and freedom maintained.
I miss you, my City, my Tower, my brother,
My people! So far away,
When will I see you again?

Linaewen November 2002