Middle-earth Poetry (Silmarillion version) by Zdenka

The Fall

Maeglin at the Fall of Gondolin. (Free verse.)

Warnings: Non-graphic violent death, attempted harm to a child.

Too late, Maeglin sees his folly:
the Dark One never meant to keep his promises.
You will be spared, and those you favor.
Gondolin will cringe before you, my viceroy;
white-footed Idril
and all you can desire will be yours.
No, not so.
The dragons pour flame from every side,
their fierce jaws gaping.
Through the breached walls, the orcish hordes rush in.
Nothing will be spared, and no one.
Already the gold tree is aflame, and the silver tree follows.
But Idril – not her! She is too fair to perish
in the wrack of this unworthy city.
With Tuor gone, perhaps she might love him, even yet –
Quicker than the thought, he seizes her,
drags her from her dwelling –
the child cries, hinders him.
Son of Tuor! Let him perish. At the least
he’ll not be robbed of his revenge.
The city wall is near – but a moment,
and Tuor’s son will never cry again to vex him.
Calamity! Suddenly returned,
Tuor falls upon him like an eagle.
A moment more, hurled forth –
clutching air, falling –
and he is cast into darkness without a star.

Chapter End Notes

Written for Back to Middle-earth Month 2012. Prompts B13: "Poetic Forms: free verse" and G59: "Cause of Death: Falling."