There and Back Again
The Shire has stopped working,
And the crickets are all chirping.
And so within this evening breeze,
I light a single pipe.
…
Some shall go to taverns.
Have wenches fill their flagons.
But at Bag End, solace remains,
I'll spend alone the night.
…
I think of dwarves and wizards, horses.
Trolls who wanted us as courses.
Of orcs who rod black vicious wolves,
Of Rivendell so fair.
…
Of lands so very hilly.
And Misty Mountains chilly.
Of goblin caves and tunnels foul,
How I drabbled with despair.
…
Or riddles oh so many.
Of only wit to save me.
Of Gollum and my magic ring,
Most precious gift of all.
…
How dwarves and wizard found me,
On eagles, how we flew free.
Away from orcs and snapping wolves,
Flew over mountains tall.
…
Of how we met Beorn,
His gaze was long forlorn.
But we were safe and in good cheer,
In spirits high we left.
…
How to Mirkwood we arrived,
Forest by the dwarves despised.
How Gandalf chose to leave us,
Our brightest and our best.
…
How along the path we walked,
At lack of food we baulked.
Spiders, followed by Wood Elves,
And I was left alone.
…
But my friends, I chose to track.
Freedom, I won back.
Floating barrels down the river,
Oh how I wished for home.
…
How at Lake-town we arrived.
Saw a barren countryside.
Smaug's desolation lay before us,
But the Lonely Mountain climbed.
…
How through secret door I snuck in.
How I felt both warm and cold wind.
Before me lay a dragon,
A sight I found sublime.
…
But the dragon, he awoke,
On ashes old I choked.
How Smaug flew off to Esgaroth,
To unleash inferno, fire.
…
Though the dragon he was slain,
And the dwarves could make their claim,
Lake-town's people, they had suffered,
Their situation dire.
…
And Thorin, he was changed.
Lashed out at us, deranged.
Battle loomed, and long I feared,
I could lose another friend.
…
In Dale, Men and elves stood.
Of Thorin's vow I made good.
Handed Bard the Arkenstone,
Fences I hoped to mend.
…
But Thorin would not listen,
He was dead set on his mission.
And then Dain and his dwarves arrived,
I feared that all was lost.
…
But then orcs, they arrived.
Caught us by surprise.
And thus began a final battle,
Victory at any cost.
…
The Free Peoples fought together,
And Thorin changed for better.
And then Beorn and eagles came,
Their deeds would long be told.
…
But much blood of ours was spilled,
And friends of mine were killed.
Those, whose bonds I valued more,
Than any weight of gold.
…
So with elves I took to ride,
With Gandalf at my side.
My adventure, at its end,
As the world grew dark.
…
So at Bag End I'm alone,
I'm at last back at home.
Left with gold and silver jewels,
Looking back upon my lark.
…
The world grows distant still,
Laugher, sounds so shrill.
I feel something's missing here,
Like something has been rend.
…
But age has not come with me,
So I ask myself quite swiftly.
I've made one unexpected journey,
Can I not go back again?