Frodo's Primer
by jan-u-wine
A is
for Amon Hen and the part of me which forever departed,
with the seeing, there, upon the very Hill of Sight.
B is
for Bilbo. Cousin by birth. Uncle by chance.
Ringbearer by fate.
C is
for Cormallen, whose name means "Golden Ring". Perforce,
I lost the one, and gained the other.
D is
for Deagol. Often I think upon him. His was the easier
end.
E is
for Earendil. There is peace within his serene light.
F is
for the Fire-Mountain, where both ending and
beginning stayed within a breath-closed chamber, one moment
bound to all others in time.
G is
for Gamgee and Gardner. Friend of friends. Full-wise.
My Sam.
H is
for hobbit, we folk of simple ways and mysterious
origin.
I is
for Isildur. He whose shame I shared.
.
J
is for the Jewels of Feanor. In the West resides,
yet, the unsullied
light of the Two Trees. The distilled joy of them
sounds within me
like my own heart.
K is
for kingsfoil. In the hands of the King, it was no foil.
L
is for the Lady of the Golden Wood. In her land grew the golden
mallorn, the star-eyed Elanor. The Ring of Water
encircles the slim
grace of her finger.
M is
for Mirrormere, whose deep calm contains the
unassailable stars.
N is
for Necromancer, created in dawning song, consumed by wilful
evil, destroyed by his own construct.
O is
for Oliphaunt. I am glad we saw them, Sam.
P is
for Primula. Even now, her voice sighs a lullaby
to the ear of my mind.
Q is
for Quelle, the season of harvest. When the sun grows
heavy and sullen-orange, within the pull of this season, I dreme
of home.
R
is for the River Daughter. I wonder, now, where she might
be,
all rain-washed spring and silver-shod, all golden-haired and
waxen-lily-crowned. .
S is
for the Shire. As am I.
T is
for truesilver, beloved of the dwarves, and the true saving of my
life.
U is
for the Undying Lands. Time fails beneath the stars which
linger here, and here is healing caught between dawn and dusk.
V is
for the Vision of Iluvator. All that there is, all that ever
there shall be, dawning seed of the first music.
W is
for the White Downs. Beyond them lies Far Downs, Emyn
Beraid and the Harbour of Master Cirdan.
X
is for the criss-crossed mark I scribe upon a map, indication of
where
the person of Iorhael resides. Frodo is not to be found
there.
Y
is for Yestare, first-day of the Elvish year. Birth-day
of Sam. Soon
enough he will again journey across water for my sake. And
all the
homely Shire will reside within the silver'd envelope of the
Lonely
Isle.
Z is
for
Zirak, whose white-shod feet and snow-swept head were called
Celebdil
in the tongue of the fair folk, and Silvertine in common
language.
Never did I walk there, never now shall I.
I could wish
but for one letter more, one that should encompass the meaning of
all
that I define above. In all my learning, all
my searching and healing
and being, I have found it
not.
There is no letter by which we may place our love
into the heart-hand of another.
I am Frodo; this, my story, my primer,
by which I attest my love. That
was all I ever bore.
___________
Author's Note: definition of "primer": A book that covers
the basic elements of a subject; from the Middle English:
devotional manual
