Uncle King , to me as father
Now withered , crumpled , cold as death
Once hale and whole , and proudly free
Now I pray for your each laboured breath
Your still-bright eyes have lost all focus
They are introverted to bygone years
They roam my face and do not know me
They do not register my tears
It hurts to watch your degradation
I wish I could outrun my pain
But cold glass eyes forever by you
Bring me in terror to your side again ;
I cannot leave you on your own
With his heart-piercing malice-swords
I won't relinquish you un-fought
To his hissing honey-venom words
And so I stand alone and cold
Stroking your beloved face and hair
Trying to ignore the serpent's gaze
The lustful beam that strips me bare
In my own house I am afraid
Of the lingering , cloying gloom
I despair for I am useless
Against our ignoble darkening doom
I long for a clean bright sword
To banish shadow-demons from our hearth
I long for the din of battle to cure
The poisoned silence of my heart .
Now lo ! there comes a gleam of hope
And a White Wizard sets my King free
But now that his feet no longer falter
What use for his old staff – for me ?
I am of worth to no-one now
There is no reason for my existence
I am but a Lady and a fair face
A shimmering , hollow iridescence.
But hold .... Softly ... Look;
For in our hall there is a stranger –
A great man , King of Men
Perhaps he can give my life some purpose
Perhaps he can make me real again
In his great glory I could be lifted
Far from the meaner things on earth
If I were blissful Queen of Gondor
Then I would at last be of some worth
Perchance ... maybe ... who knows ?
But no – NO !
I am no fool , it's in his eyes –
A cool and distant pity
Mere maiden am I , but Rohirrim still ;
I'll have naught of any man's pity.
Look ye !
I am a shield-maiden of Rohan
That is my only worth
My people's glory may be lessened now
But it has not yet vanished from this earth
Where now the horse and the rider ?
Where is the horn that was blowing ?
The blaze that was our glory
Is now embers feebly glowing
They have passed like rain on the mountain,
Like a wind in the meadow
They have gone , with our hopes and our honour
Running before the Shadow
This time I shall not stay behind in silence
A souvenir of greatness gone
By Eru ! But I shall thunder off beside them
To glory – and then to slumber long !