heirlooms

"As weregild for my father, I'll take that"
Quoth Beren as he clasped Barahir's hand
from orcs struck dumb with wonder as they sat;
his motives were too much to understand.
That ring of Felagund can open doors;
An oath like Finrod swore, no Elf forgets;
'though Melian'd foreseen the coming wars,
to Thingol, mortals seemed mere useless pets.
The Oath of Feanor grants no respite
'though Elu Thingol never took the vow,
Dark Elves, no less than Noldor of the Light
are compassed in its mischief, anyhow.
Late-comers play our part in Eru's scheme
however frail--to Eldar eyes--we seem.

choices

Olorin hoped a pipe might help him think;
no memory could guide him at this fork.
Some fragrant smoke might purge the evil stink
that couldn't be attributed to orcs.
The caves of trolls had their unwholesome smell
but something darker stings the wizard's sense;
What Pippin wakened in the guardroom's well
predates the sun, and moon, and lands, and Ents.
The mithril shirt that stopped a orc-lord's lance
that might have drilled a boar, or buffalo
against a balrog wouldn't stand a chance;
a maia--once gone bad's--an awful foe.
The friend and guide to dwarf, man, hobbit, elf
shows no regard for safeguarding himself.

ka-chinng!

From Glorfindel, the Nazgul wheeled and fled.
A Noldo incandescent in his rage,
this balrog's bane, too puissant to stay dead,
was taking zero crap in his old age.
Defending Gondolin, he'd made his name
with Mandos, who was quick to send him back.
Each balrog slayer gets another game;
the deaths of elves are less than white and black.
Olorin knew this history full well;
his balrog wasn't gonna slip away.
Tenaciously embracing as they fell
the flame of Udun's bearer had to pay.
They're Hell to slay with battle-ax, or sword,
but killing balrogs wins a life's reward.

arcana

The IFF Celembrimbor devised

to keep the riffraff out of Khazad Dum,
in later days, defied the great and wise
who sought security in starless gloom.
Olorin knew the author by repute;
the son of Curufin left reams of lore.
But dwelling still in Bliss through this world's youth;
he'd never had to enter through this door.
Too late to sway Isildur from his fate
great Gandalf came to midwife the Fourth Age.
But first, at Moria, this mute West Gate
posed quite a barrier to one grey mage.
While archers shoot; while swordsmen slash, and hack
Mithrandir slew his Balrog, and came back.

the real thing

Wolf-Sauron met the Hound of Valinor;
sham canine pitted 'gainst the Jaws of Steel.
Despite the form, he's plastic at the core,
while Huan--Platonically--is quite surreal.
By special dispensation, a pure Form--
sent hither to the lands of Middle earth--
for newfoundland or whippet set the norm,
however one would measure a dog's worth.
A Craftsman schooled in Aule's atelier,
ambitious for dominion over Men,
where others have a spine, there's only clay,
to fashion a new face each day again.
Faux wolf shifts shape to flee on vampire wings
unable to contend with the real thing.

pidyon shvuyim

Across Afghanistan swirls the debate:
"How much would Biden pay to cap this mess?"
without a hostage left to face his fate,
like Gary Powers sweating for the Press.
Ask Gorbachev; he's lived this in his turn;
the Pashtuns mean to rule Pashtunistan.
The infidel can go to Hell and burn;
their loyalty's to Allah, and their clan.
Marines would risk Courts Martial to bring home
a brother whether he's alive or dead.
As loyal as the Pashtuns to their own
they've sworn their oaths, and meant each word they've said.
What Biden pays sub-rosa, you won't hear
it's not worth one more soldier over there.

reconditioned

Poseidon took sweet Pelops by the arm,
and Hermes held his luscious slow-braised head.
Hephaistos undid Tantalus' harm
to prep this dainty for the Sea god's bed.
Let Zeus snatch playthings from the walls of Troy;
Mycenae has enough for most gods' need.
Be that a blushing maid, or smooth-cheeked boy,
 no cause to shop abroad for Ganymede.
Cassandra told Apollo to get lost;
she'd rather dally with some Asian youth.
Integrity like hers bears a grave cost;
she wins no kudos for unwelcome truth.
When paths of gods and mortals intersect
our lives seem just their smorgasbord of sex.