A/N: For some inexplicable reason, I spent the evening working on a mirror poem about Numenor. (Not an exact mirror, as I changed a word ... but close enough.) So ... here it is. I do wish I could do something with the formatting, as the FF spacing throws off the flow. It's no Shakespeare or Eliot, but hopefully you'll enjoy the attempt! :-)
Ah, Númenor!
Andor. Land of Gift
they called thee,
when thou were bright and new.
...
Echoing in our ears,
the words of the Valar
dripped from the leaves, pooled in the seas.
Our blood rushed and
the mountains trembled as our feet trod upon the shores
framed against a star-washed sky
and far off Avallónë.
Rushing, racing toward our destiny (or our doom),
we screamed into the wind
as the sea spray soaked us and
our ship decks rocked beneath our feet.
Then East!
Our land could not hold us, so
we ventured forth to seek new shores.
With fire in our eyes,
we looked toward our past, but saw only our future.
Driven,
we yearned for more.
Greater, yes. Richer, just so.
Longer — out of our reach.
They told us. Warned us.
But why should we not have forever?
They pleaded, in honeyed tones,
and we heeded no voice but our own.
His, in truth. But he convinced us his counsel was ours.
And we heeded no voice but our own.
They pleaded, in honeyed tones,
but why should we not have forever?
They told us. Warned us.
Longer? Out of our reach.
Greater, yes. Richer, just so.
We yearned for more.
Driven.
We looked toward our past, but saw only our future.
With fire in our eyes,
we ventured forth to seek new shores.
Our land could not hold us, so
then West!
Our ship decks rocked beneath our feet
as the sea spray soaked us and
we screamed into the wind.
Rushing, racing toward our destiny (or our doom)
and far-off Avallónë,
framed against a star-washed sky.
The mountains trembled as our feet trod upon the shores.
Our blood rushed, and
dripped from the leaves, pooled in the seas.
The words of the Valar
echoing in our ears.
...
When thou were bright and new
they called thee
Andor. Land of Gift.
Ah, Númenor ...