Obedience is all I require
And this – demanded of my sons –
Is signed and sealed in searing fire.
As love, indeed, my duty shuns
Gondor needs all, and takes my heart –
And this demanded of my sons.
Whatever I thought at the start
Now nothing else can fill my life –
Gondor needs all and takes my heart.
My children and my lady wife
Must come below this hard mistress -
Nothing else, now, can fill my life.
As around me all dark things press,
The love of those two grey-eyed boys
Must come below this hard mistress.
Unfailing trust then this destroys –
Obedience is all I require.
The love of those two grey-eyed boys
Is signed and sealed in searing fire.
*******************************
Author's Note:
*I thought long and hard about whether to post this here as I don't do poetry well, and the very fact this site allows open posting once you have been approved as an author always makes me feel I should be tough about what I post. Unlike Denethor I can’t scan and I know it isn’t a great poem. I finally decided to post it though because I do like a couple of the images – and I’ve decided I love terzanelles even if I can’t write them really ;-) Criticism welcome – I have no illusions about my ability as a poet.
* Definitely for Fileg – for sharing her talents so generously with those of us who know little about writing poetry, for teaching me how to write a terzanelle, for inspiring me with her incredible Denethor poem – Ascensions, for being so unfailingly encouraging – and most of all for the I *heart* Denethor t-shirt logo