Three Rings for the Elf-lords under the sky,

Seven for the Dwarf Lords in their halls of stone,

Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,

One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne

In the land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,

One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

In the land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

— The One Ring, from The Lord of the Rings

Obsession

It whispers of greed,

Of wanton desire,

Of secret betrayal.

oOo

It calls your name,

Enticing you to claim it for your own,

Tempting you with many things.

oOo

It promises you fame,

Wealth,

Immortality,

And above all,

Power.

oOo

Thoughts of the Ring consume you,

Searing your mind until you scream in agony of it,

Wearing you down until you are filled with its lust,

Until you can no longer endure it.

oOo

It seeks to chain you,

Trap you,

To capture you in its darkness—

The eternal, suffocating darkness.

oOo

It taunts you,

It tortures you,

And you fail,

Falling under the shadow of the Ring and its cruel Master.

oOo

Beware of its traps,

Of its offers.

oOo

Though It is a small thing,

The fate of the world is bound up in it.

oOo

It is nothing more than a whore,

It speak of nothing but of empty pleasures,

Of unhealthy obsession.

oOo

If you open your mind to it,

Thoughts of It will overwhelm you,

The temptation is very strong.

oOo

It will haunt you in your dreams,

Giving you no respite,

Ever battering at the defenses of your mind.

oOo

Some may fall prey easily enough,

Others are slowly taken by it,

And still others are able to resist it.

oOo

How to be rid of such a desire?

How to be rid of such lust?

oOo

Remember what you are fighting for,

What your purpose is.

oOo

Remember what you have promised,

What oaths you have taken and must fulfill.

oOo

Put it out of your mind,

Think of what is good,

What is pure,

Of your higher calling,

Of freedom.

oOo

Resist the pull of the Ring,

The inveiglement of the lord of all rings,

And you will receive far more than what the Ring could ever offer,

For it offers no freedom,

But an eternal death.

The End