This Fertile Soil by Rhapsody the Bard

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

B2MeM Challenge: This prompt by lindahoyland: Mordor after Sauron. What happened in Mordor after the fall of Sauron? Did it thrive or was it what we now call a deprived area? Who were the freed slaves that Aragorn gave the lands around Lake Núrnen to?
Format: Vignette & a song, or poetry?
Genre: Drama
Rating: G
Warnings: not touched by a beta!
Characters: Maglor (who else?)
Creators' Notes (optional): See the end notes.
Summary: Maglor visites the lands formaly known as Mordor.

This was it, Maglor knelt down and touched the lands once known as Mordor. The farmers of these lands had made good use of the destruction, he pondered as he gathered some of its soil. And why should they not, lava always ensured rich soil many years after. Thus he had witnessed a long time ago when he had joined his brother on the Himring. Yet this was different: evil had truly passed on and here nothing of it remained. Only new hope, new life. Gingerly he rose to his feet and cast the sand aside to allow the emotions stirred deep inside to be translated into song.

Breathe
These ashes turn to fertile soil
This firm ground
No longer lands where many recoiled
Freedom I have found
People of Arda can finally uncoil

Walk on by
Pass on through
Ride when you no longer can run
Never look back
For here I am, breathing still

Grow
Let this new age begin
With hope
The enemy has fallen and no haunts dreams kept within
Fear replaced by faith
These once barren lands will draw you in

Walk on by
Pass on through
So sad to mourn these losses, it calls me
Stay this time
Stay tonight even for a little while
I'm only wondering how
I find I cannot go
Return to home
Who can take me away
Who can take me home
Home again...

Long ago did the tower crumble
Our own fertile lands sank into the sea
I did not cry, all tears spent

Stay this time
Stay tonight even for a little while
Hope reclaimed, love found
And I would say
Save your love, save it all

Don't push me too far
Don't reach too far
Tonight
Beneath Eärendil’s watch
Maybe I can go home again

Utterly inspired by U2’s Unforgettable Fire where I kept the rhyming scheme (which is harder than you think, especially if you're also a U2 fan), borrowed some words and a few lines.

Comments

[shirebound]

What an emotional experience for Maglor, and all of us.

Grow
Let this new age begin
With hope

Beautiful.

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

I had to weave in a reference to estel or Estel - the former ranger turned King overcoming it all after his near mission impossible. Simply could not resist! Thank you for your lovely review.

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Oh, I *love* this! <3 I'm not a U2 fan (yet?) But I am definitely a Maglor fan :) That's lovely, Rhapsody! Fitting for a bard indeed ;)

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Maglor has been with me for some years, writing him is so much fun! Leave it up to him to poke me when I saw Linda's prompt. Sometimes things just click, it all comes together and you better sit down to seize the moment. I have been a U2 fan for I think 25 years *coughs* and this song is one of my favourites. :) I also have another Maglor & Curufin prompt to write for this year's B2MEM, so hopefully before the end of the month... (if work eases up, no ill kids around me and so on..) :c) Thanks for your wonderful comment!

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Oh you're welcome! ...I wonder what would happen if Maglor tried to insert himself into ID-verse...o_O Maybe it's gotten weird enough already? xD I don't know. *lol*

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

What do you mean with ID-verse? But you know, there is only one way to know: try and write!

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

I mean Isildurchil Dithen-verse, my "little Faramir ends up being Aragorn's son, and has to be reunited with his Ada" AU that I've been posting here :) Counting "The Hidden Prince" (the prologue), I've got eight chapters, and "The Toymaker's Tale" is a side story that belongs to the same universe, though it's not overtly connected (at least not yet, I may write an epilogue to The Toymaker's Tale that does so)

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I think you can do it *fetches the pom poms and starts to shake them*

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Thanks Rhapsody! *is glad of the cheering on* :) I'll see if Maglor can fit himself in somewhere...hmmm...

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this great interpretation of my prompt. I'm so glad the land thrived and Maglor visited and sang there.

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Thank you for putting it up at the stall. I saw it, pondered and then oh so slightly I felt that nudge, then a poke... I started to see if I could do anything with it and halfway I thought: better toss a farthing to Linda for this excellent idea. It has been really too long that a) I enjoyed that spark of creativity to write b) could explore something so interesting and c) actually had some time for it. Thanks my friend! *grateful hug*

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

Hugs back, I'm so glad this inspired you and you were able to write something.

[starbrow.livejournal.com]

Oh, somehow it has managed to rain on my face just now. This is so lovely! I don't know the U2 song but I'm definitely going to seek it out!

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Oh dear *hands you a tissue box*

There are many 'old' gems of U2 songs to be found! Happy exploring!

[angelica-ramses.livejournal.com]

Maglor/U2: perfect combination! Do you think someday he will find what he's looking for? (one of my favourite songs ever) ;)

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Oh that song is so great! I still remember the buzz when it came out. Although I love the Joshua tree, I sometimes think that the album The Unforgetable Fire is very under appreciated. It has the gorgeous 'A sort of homecoming', 'Bad' and 'Pride (in the name of love)'. I think it had the bad luck of being between 'War' and 'The Joshua Tree'.

I think ultimately he will find what he is looking for although not as jubilant as Bono would sing it.

[angelica-ramses.livejournal.com]

Yes! You know for me the first U2 album I paid attention to was The Joshua Tree (I was pregnant with Lucia: 25 years ago!!!) and then I listened to The Unforgettable Fire and loved it! Both have some of their best songs!

[hhimring]

It is not just the fate of the land of Mordor that is taking a more hopeful turn here!
Your version of the song also sounds rather more hopeful than U2's original.

(Good point about the lava--after all its fertilizing properties are apparently the reason why people did not move away from Mount Etna, despite the dangers.)

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Makes you also wonder if people dared to work on the lands close to Morgoth's stronghold. I seem to recall vulcanic descriptions with that area.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Ah - good to see the land recovered through his eyes, but what longing in his song, poor love.

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

I imagine him observing the renewal, the rich lands after such destruction, the hope - estel embodied... Yeah, even the most forsaken must have felt that. Imho of course :)

[baranduin.livejournal.com]

Oh my. My favorite U2 album, one of my favorite songs from it.

This was a unique experience. I read your poem while playing the song, waiting to read each line when the song arrived at it. Exquisite. Thank you for this experience.

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Oh yay! I think I was the one I worried about the most: how other u2 fans would perceive it, especially if we share the same love for the album.

[baranduin.livejournal.com]

Well, this U2 fan thinks it was perfection. And Unforgettable Fire is the album where U2 really clicked for me. Very underrated album IMO.

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

*nods* I said something about this to Angelica here (http://b2mem.livejournal.com/306418.html?thread=4886258#t4886258).

[dreamflower]

This is so poignant and lovely!

[binkaslibrary.livejournal.com]

Awww, this is indeed a perfect combination and a beautiful, touching answer to the prompt. So beautiful :) Thank you!

[independence1776]

This is wonderful, Rhapsody, and I love the poem.

[blslarner.livejournal.com]

And I dream that he did manage to go home once more. Wonderful!

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

Beautiful work, Rhapsy! I thought something about the rhythm of that poem felt familiar, but couldn't put my finger on it - but it really is the Unforgettable Fire. What a wonderful song use, especially in light of the land Maglor is travelling through.

[mangacrack.livejournal.com]

Usually I stay away from poetry but this one was so beautiful. I actually read it three times or more.