Watching over Lorien

Standing your watch throughout the years
Under the boughs, beneath the leaves
The land will dream its peaceful dreams;
You'll guard to keep it free from fears.

The years slip by with little change
A pool of light fading so slow,
Past this wood's eternal glowing
You have no cause to ever range.

Should dark foes stray within your bounds
Unwitting of their being watched,
When trespass'd over boundary crossed -
You'll hunt them as relentless hounds.

Reach back for deadly weapons swift
And signal many silent flights
Of well-fletched arrows for the plight
Of broken peace and soiled rifts

Anathema that blood is shed
Beneath gold canopy so sweet
Where you would bear but peaceful feet,
Begrudging leaves crushed by the dead.

They shall not pass your standing guard
Nor touch mirror'd silver water
Whose broken voice of Elven daughter
Sings her sorrows with liquid shards

Your Lady's trust you've rightly earned
The boundaries of her forest realm,
Appointed captain at the helm,
Will not be swayed, will not be turned

They sought to overrun but feared
The tales they'd heard of nets of gold:
The way even their strong and bold
Entered that wood and disappeared.

So keep them wary, keep them low,
Make them shy away from seeking,
From ever in this woodland sneaking
After any Elf-friend or foe.

Into your hands, decision hangs
To take beyond the silent bounds
This one whose heart quietly pounds
Beneath great evil strung on chain.

Obedient to your Lady's thoughts,
You let him come, and gave him aid
This one a heavy price had paid
Before and will again, for naught.

A guard who opened up the gate
You let the fugitives find peace
Until the hunt should finally cease
Giving respect instead of hate.

May your shelters be well hidden,
May your arrows fly ever true
May hand and heart e'er be renewed;
Joy taken in what you're bidden.

- Primula