For Antane.  Sam anticipates his reunion with Frodo in the West.......

~*~My Treasure~*~

How will it be, to meet you again?
Will our eyes dart
from one side to the next
shy of connecting? Will my arms
hesitate to clasp you, however anxious
my heart to bump into yours,
and will you know me
after so many years
have done their work?
I'd know you anywhere;
amongst the stars
on the moon
in the midst of nowhere
or in a dream
no fear that I won't.
But will you know me?
 
A thousand times my heart
has painted the picture: 
how it will be, on that morning
when at last we meet again. 
I will step off, legs shaking,
onto the pearly sand (surely
it will shine all the whiter
in your light, as snow
in the day) and peer about
wondering if you will even be there
and what if you are not?
And then I see you, small and bright
perhaps bent and shaky, your hair
laced with time's silver
yet no age beams from your eyes
crinkled as old linen though they be.
Will you call my name first,
or will I call yours?
Will you run to me, or I to you?
Or will we both run,
unmindful of achy joints
and will we knock each other over
with the impact of our joining?
Will we ride arm in arm
to your dwelling
on roads of perfect joy
and sit side by side
looking out to sea saying,
"Do you remember the time when..."
and "Let me show you this, and that..."
and "I can scarcely wait for you to meet..."
and "Please tell me all,
leave nothing out...."
 
And when at last we have emptied
both our treasure-boxes
of every possible jewel
we'll scoop them up
and put them back in
and tomorrow
we'll go over them again
and again and yet again
and perhaps gather new ones
while we're about it.
Yes, I've gone over it and over it
and now the time is almost at hand
the ship is reaching the shore...
the curtain is rolling back...
and the bells are ringing
the gulls are calling...
and my worries whisk away
like chaff on the breeze
for the greatest treasure
of all is there
just waiting
waiting

and waiting

for me alone.