The Curse of Second Sight by hybridphoenix
A/N-I have to owe part of this to Jay Chou's song,which was playing while I wrote it.This chronicles Denethor's feelings from after he received the news of Boromir's death and his own.Remember,he thought that Faramir was dead.
My renowned gift of second sight,
Is what lead me to this plight.
The ability to perceive the mind of those
And to see what they want most.
Boromir!Most beloved child!
To you I always was mild.
Did you ask why?
No,the secret was mine.
The bitter dregs in my cup remain,
Peace I can no more attain.
Let me tell you my son,
For treating you well I had my reason.
The blood that flows in your veins,
Has none of my 'gift' in seeing the future and into other's brains.
You were blessed.
I wanted you to know that your lack of the gift is best.
For I only see the dangerous.
But when I looked into your untainted mind,
There was only the fair and the kind.
I must apologize for your death,
And I do this with my last breath.
Hitherto your leaving day,
I heard my inner voice say "
One of your sons will perish.
It will be the one whom you cherish."
Thinking that Ithillien would be your doom,
I bade you go to Elrond's room.
When I received your cloven ox horn,
I knew,and my heart was torn.
I had seen,and had done the wrong thing.
Nought now I can do but mourning.
Then I saw with perfect clarity,
The Lord of Barad-dur,and his utmost enmity.
His troops were training,multiplying in Mordor,
For his wrath was about to fall on Gondor.
I knew that it would come to pass,
With the weight on my heart,I ask
"Is there no hope?
Can I really cope?"
My eyes glittered like a dragon,
As I drank from my flagon,
There will be nought but defeat,
Regardless of any feat.
To see in the future may be a gift,
But to see only darkness will create a rift.
I prepare for Gondor to take it's last breath:
"Faramir!Go and defend Osgalliath!"
He,like and yet unlike me.
He too sees darkness,but treats it not bitterly.
The embers of hope blaze in his heart,
Of which I am jealous of,on my part.
Faramir,noble and foolish,
Took my hopeless order,and went to perish.
That blow shattered me,made me forlorn,
For now both my beloved sons were gone.
All hope departed from me,
As I had finally come to see.
We may struggle to break free,
But against Mordor there is no victory.
I saw no way to prevent this,
Only to end my life and his.
I prepared a great pyre,
and on it threw my sacred fire.
How fitting it is,
To die like this.
If in life I have the fire of hope never,
In death I am intertwined with it forever.