"THREE RINGS FOR THE ELVEN KINGS 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.."

– J. R. R. TOLKIEN (The lord Of The Rings)

A Shadow`s Slant

– Sonny_ray

Have you ever wondered why
Noone’s scared of a clear blue sky
But every soul near Sauron’s land
Is Petrified of The Shadow’s Slant

Have ever you spared a thought
For all the many changes wrought
Under the Twilight of The Shadow’s Slant
Like the Treachery of Saruman’s Chant

Ask the Rohirrim their Greatest Fear
’tis the Shadow drawing inexorably near
Ask the Numenorians their Greatest Dread
’tis the Shadowland where they Fear to Tread

Of all the Creatures in Shadowy Mordor
The Orcs, the Goblins, the Trolls, the Easterlings
None did inspire so much Fear as The Nine
Save the Balrog in Moria’s Mine

Deep in the Heart of Mordor, where the Shadows lie
Were Forged Nine Rings for Mortal Kings Doomed to Die
And The One Ring to Bind them all
To the service of the Dark Lord’s call

The Three Elven Rings ne’er passed Sauron’s hand
But The One Ring might yet put them at his command
Vilya the Mightiest, Narya the Great, Nenya the Powerful
Given to Elrond Halfelven, Gandalf Greyhame and Lady Galadriel

The Dwarf Lords received Seven Rings of Power
And they did hold out long before the Gorgoroth Tower
Yet one by one they reached Sauron’s Lair
Or were Forever consumed by Dragon Fire

Thus had the Dark Lord all the Rings made
Except the Elven Three which ne’er chanced his Shade
Except the Dwarf Rings undone by Dragon Fire
Except The One Ring – taken by Isildur o’er Sauron`s bier

The One Ring became Isildur’s Bane
And it caused him immeasurable Pain
And led him to his watery Doom – one Orc filled night
And thence passed out of everyone’s sight

Story became Legend, Legend became Myth
Few, if ever, bothered about Isildur’s Kith
And some things that shouldn’t have been Forgotten, Were
Until The One Ring yearned for its Master’s Lair

The One Ring was imbued with Sauron’s Cursed Soul
Whilst it survived No peace could be whole
For though Slain by Isildur with Narsil’s Hilt-Shard
Sauron’s Shadow tarried and Mirkwood he Marred

Across the Elves of Mirkwood, now fell the Shadow’s Slant
No Creature great or small did escape the Hellish Chants
Of the Shadowy Necromancer – as Sauron came to be
Until Gandalf and the White Council did Force him to flee

The One Ring was fished out as Deagol’s Bane
For Smeagol coveted it and it drove him insane
And Gollum he became as Evil as The Ring
His Precious he did prize over every other thing

Back in Shadowy Mordor, Sauron had Returned
And Orodruin’s Flames – long and hot they burned
Gorgoroth Resurrected, Minas Ithil – Morgul became
Sauron`s Fiery Eye roved a-far, The One He needed to Claim

And so, the Shadow was lengthening
Rumour had it – it was strengthening
All at once came a whole new sound
The One Ring had finally been Found

Thru’ a strange set of twists and turns,
The One had come into Bilbo Baggins’ Burns
And later passed to Frodo, his only Heir
And so did Gandalf behold it in the Shire

Even as the Shadows lengthened beyond Morgul
And Woke his Deadliest Servants, The Nazgul
The rest of Middle Earth stood calm and quiet
Except Elrond Halfelven and Mithrandir, who rallied to Fight

The Grey Pilgrim called the White Council together
But Saruman the White had turned a multicoloured feather
He persuaded them all to sit tight
And ever and on the Shadow-Slant lengthened before their sight

Gandalf the Grey, Mithrandir to some
Knew that the Time had finally come
When he must Fight the Creatures of the Night
Combat the Slanting Shadows with the Shining Light

He bade Frodo and Sam Flee the Shire
And thus did they escape The Nazgul’s ire
The Nine chased them to the village of Bree
Of their Foul Shadow they’d ne’er be free..

Faithful Meriadoc and the Brave Took Peregrin
Loyal to Frodo thru’ thick and thin
But twice the trouble yet thrice as useful
Getting Frodo and Sam away from The Nazgul

Their tongues loosened by Barliman’s finest
The Prancing Pony turned Vipers’ Nest
Fate sped Aragorn to their aid
And they lived thru’ the Ringwraiths’ Raid

After many Trials, Hardships and Foul Treachery
The four Hobbits – Frodo, Samwise, Pippin and Merry
Reached their respective goals with elan
Though nothing had gone to plan

Thru’ their journey they found friends all
In strange places – waiting for them to call
Old Tom Bombadil, Glorfindel, Aragorn son of Arathorn,
And Proud Boromir Wielding the Onyx Horn

Elrond Forged a Fellowship, Nine in all
One to each Ringwraith, to hasten their Fall
The Four Hobbits, Gandalf the Grey,
Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas and Boromir the Fey

Frodo became the Ringbearer and was told to seek
Mount Orodruin’s Fire-belching Peak
For The One could only be Destroyed
In the Depths of the Forge where it was Fired

They journeyed towards The Shadow’s Slant
Now looming nearer Minas Anor – Tirith
Losing Gandalf to Moria’s Mithril Mine
And Boromir, Mighty and Valiant, to Rauros’ Decline

The Fellowship Broken, they all split
Frodo and Sam trudged on bit by bit
The rest reached Minas Tirith eventually
And prepared for a Last Great Rally

Ere’ Frodo reached his goal, Sauron sent out
A vast horde into Gondor to achieve a Rout
Even as Elladan and Elrohir, Elrond’s sons
And The Eorlingas and Prince Imrahil swelled Gondor’s Ranks

The Shadow Lengthened and Strengthened
Until its Slant Darkened the Tower of Guard
Nowhere was so Great a Battle Fought
In that Age of the Middle-Earth they Sought

Frodo fulfilled his Charge "helped" along by Gollum
The Bards sang about it – Frodo Of The Nine Fingers And The Ring
’twas the Shadow Quelled and Banished
Sauron Destroyed and The Nine Nazgul Vanished

Thus fell Sauron – Lord Of The Rings
With all the Evil the Shadow Brings
Better enjoy the light of day
Ere’ the Shadow Slants your way

— sonny_ray