A Bitter Taste
Gather round and hear ye the tale
Of romance and hope that doth not fail.
Stand thee quietly, in the darkling wood
In the legendary spot whither Evenstar stood.
So long ago, when peace reigned the earth
And birds sang joyously, for their songs' worth,
Did the story begin in the middle of night
When love filled two hearts upon their first sight.
Aragorn, son of Arathorn and the wise and fair Gilraen,
Was hardly more than an infant when his father was slain.
So traversed he and his mother to peaceful Rivendell,
Whither long they lived, and Aragorn became Estel.
He grew and he prospered, a flourishing young lord,
Fair of face, sweet of tongue, and deft of sword.
He lived as an Elf, with the Elder ones,
Loved alongside Elrond's own two kindly sons.
For the first length of his long, long life, he knew only joy.
He raced in the Elven woods as a strong and capable boy.
And one sunset he was singing, along a woodland route
When before him he saw the figure of whom he had been singing about.
Clad in a mantle of shining silver and dark midnight blue,
Her long, dark hair fluttered when the cold night wind blew.
Her brows were bound with gems, her skin a snowy white
Estel cried out, "Tinuviel!" in the still air of twilight.
Said the maiden,"Why do you call me by that name?"
Her face was fair and a smile swiftly came.
"I believed you to be Luthien, whom I was singing of."
And at once Estel knew that he had fallen in unmistakable love.
He learned her name was Evenstar, Arwen Undomiel,
He hearkened gladly to her fair voice and her laughter like a bell.
She told him she was Elrond's daughter, one blessed with eternal life.
But Estel's heart knew he could not stand to have any other for his wife.
Then began the story of the Third Age, the battle for Middle-earth
Sauron was defeated, and the peace returned, bringing joy and mirth
From the ashes of death and the War of the Ring,
Aragorn arose as Elessar, Gondor's true heir and king.
Atop Minas Tirith's watchtower Arwen and Elessar were wed.
The white tree that stood proud in the courtyard was no longer dead.
So many long years of happiness thereafter entailed.
Arwen's joy overcame her sorrow, for all her kin had long since sailed.
The reign of blessed King Elessar was wonderful and fair.
The peoples of Beleriand could finally breathe the free air.
There was quiet contentment through out all the land;
Middle-earth at last had the strength to stand.
But the years, for Arwen, were far too brief.
Of Elessar's death she wept for grief.
For long she sat and wept at his side.
It seemed she had no one in which to confide.
So with loving embraces and goodbyes to her kin
She traveled in darkness to quiet Lorien
Empty and silent were the forests once gold
Whither she once walked in times of old.
Her days were dark as the darkest night;
Her life was fading under the afternoon light.
She, the last Elf-maiden, so wise and so fair
Alone and cold, she died of despair.
As her eyes closed, her heart gave its one last beat
She offered up her torn soul in glad defeat.
Her eyelids fell, like the shutting of a door,
Arwen Undomiel would walk Middle-earth nevermore.