Greetings! (And a poem)

 Salvete, omnes (that’s Latin for “hello, everyone” if you weren’t sure) and welcome to Inkling Corner! Thanks so much for being here. I’m Astrya—aspiring writer, avid reader, and violinist. This blog will mainly focus on stories and poems I’ve written, with the occasional book review. I’m so happy you decided to join me!

I’ve already posted three short stories, each set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s wonderful world of Middle-Earth, and I hope you enjoy them. In addition, here’s a short poem for your enjoyment before we bid farewell. 

Brother

I see him lying there

Motionless and crimson-stained

The ice is cracked everywhere

Only half my heart remains

I fall to my knees in silence

A scream echoes through the air

Too late I realise it’s mine

Farewell, my brother, I murmur there

I forgive you. 

I see him lying there

Arrows piercing his heart

He meets my eyes in a final stare

We’re forever apart

Till we meet again

In a land where sorrow flees

And there is no pain

I fall on my knees

Not his captain nor his king

But his brother who loved him

Farewell, my brother, I softly sing

I’ll keep my promise to you.

I see him lying there

Here at the end of all things

Embers flying through his hair

Dare we have hope? For hope eternal springs

That evil is gone

The thunderous sound of pain

So this is the end of our song

Echoes through my ears again

I glance at my brother through weary eyes

He gave me hope where I had none

The clouds cover the darkened skies

Farewell, my brother, it’s now done 

We’ve finally won.

Note: maybe it isn’t specific enough to tell, but either way I wanted to highlight the sibling relationships (though they be not by blood) in the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, as they are often taken for granted or (tragically) over-romanticised. The first stanza is Bilbo and Thorin, the second is Aragorn and Boromir, and the last is Frodo and Sam. I hope this little poem inspires sorrow, yes, but also longing, hope, and a bittersweet acknowledgement that there is pain in this life, but in the next we sit eternally in the presence of God. 

For Tolkien, friendship was one of the most important relationships in life and I’d like to follow in that tradition. I hope you enjoy this poem. Thanks be to God!

Thanks be to God, indeed. Well, farewell for now, and I’ll see you later!

__

Namarië,

Astrya