The Bitter Glass by

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Fanwork Notes

Written in response to the New Years Resolution prompt The Two Trees, a poem by W.B Yeats, from which the title is drawn. 

Teens rating for allusions to dark things.

Fanwork Information

Summary:

Do not look in the bitter glass... 

A poem drawing on the account of the song battle of Finrod Felagund with Sauron in the First Age. 

A poem against pessimism and disillusionment, if you will. 

I also had the Mirror of Galadriel and Galadriel's advice to Sam in mind. 

Major Characters:

Major Relationships:

Genre: Poetry

Challenges: New Year's Resolution, Utopia/Dystopia

Rating: Teens

Warnings: Mature Themes
Chapters: 1 Word Count: 102
Posted on 2 February 2021 Updated on 6 February 2021

This fanwork is complete.

Chapter 1

Read Chapter 1

Do not look in the bitter glass
or, if you look, look not too long,
the Lord of Werewolves with his guile
will twist your memories and fears
into a deadly image.
Deep in the glass a darkness grows:
blood drips into salt waves;
white ships are charcoaled;
ice unburies the dead;
under hills of iron
minds are chained beyond freeing.
Tear your eyes away.

Has time not taught us:
what is wholly bitter
is never wholly the truth?
Beware the raven’s cry,
the deceit in the howl of the wolf!
What seems broken and withered
yet persists
and may put forth leaves again.

Listen closely: in your heart
the sea is still sighing over the sand;
in Nargothrond, there is one bird
still singing.

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