Obedience is all I require

And this – demanded of my sons –

Is signed and sealed in searing fire.

As love, indeed, my duty shuns

Gondor needs all, and takes my heart –

And this demanded of my sons.

Whatever I thought at the start

Now nothing else can fill my life –

Gondor needs all and takes my heart.

My children and my lady wife

Must come below this hard mistress -

Nothing else, now, can fill my life.

As around me all dark things press,

The love of those two grey-eyed boys

Must come below this hard mistress.

Unfailing trust then this destroys –

Obedience is all I require.

The love of those two grey-eyed boys

Is signed and sealed in searing fire.

*******************************

Author's Note: 

*I thought long and hard about whether to post this here as I don't do poetry well, and the very fact this site allows open posting once you have been approved as an author always makes me feel I should be tough about what I post.  Unlike Denethor I can’t scan and I know it isn’t a great poem. I finally decided to post it  though because I do like a couple of the images – and I’ve decided I love terzanelles even if I can’t write them really ;-) Criticism welcome – I have no illusions about my ability as a poet.

* Definitely for Fileg – for sharing her talents so generously with those of us who know little about writing poetry, for teaching me how to write a terzanelle, for inspiring me with her incredible Denethor poem – Ascensions, for being so unfailingly encouraging – and most of all for the I *heart* Denethor t-shirt logo