Finwe's Last Stand, by Kaylee Arafinwiel

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

B2MeM Challenge: B3 – canon couples, poetic forms
Format: Poem
Genre: Deathfic
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Canon character death
Characters: Finwe, Melkor
Pairings: Finwe/Indis
Creators' Notes (optional): I’ve written a few villanelles, but I was a bit rusty.
Summary: Finwe makes his last stand. Were his final thoughts of Miriel, Indis, or the children they bore him?

I stand alone, before the weather-beaten door
Sword raised in defiance, as the Enemy arrives.
What use are swords here? He is a Power, and more.

Yet here I stand. Fly, my children! What is more
Important to me, who count myself unkinged? Lives
And deaths – many will fall someday defending the door.

Back in Tirion, you wait for me. Indis! My heart soars
With love for thee and thine – ours, for they thrive.
What use the swords? The Valar are Powers, and more.

Yet Melkor approaches. Morgoth! Black Enemy, the score
Shall never be settled while my sons’ sons, beloved, strive
Though they be one day alone, before many a bloodied door.

Indis, beloved, I wish I had loved thee and thy sons more,
In living, as in dying, I should have fought for thee. I arrive
In Mandos, passing through the doom-laden galvorn door.
What use were swords? My hand failed; here I stand evermore.

Comments

[silver-trails.livejournal.com]

Beautiful!

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

[hhimring]

I like that you chose "door" as one of the rhymes and your variations on that--and the recurring motif of the sword.

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Thank you Himring! :) I didn't so much choose it as it landed in my head, to be perfectly honest. I personally connect villanelle form with death in my head because the one I studied in school was Dylan Thomas' "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night".

So, when the 'canon couple' prompt that went with the same number as 'villanelle' was Finwe/Indis, the image of Finwe's death - standing before the doors of Formenos, sword upraised, as Morgoth advanced on him - slammed into my head and the words began tumbling out. I had to revise a line here and there afterward, but it just sort of poured through me into the word document, not very different from how you see it now. Sometimes my writing is like that....O_O Am I just weird or does that happen to you too?

[blslarner.livejournal.com]

Ah, but he has found his way, in his own manner, back to the side of Miriel, apparently. Well wrought poetic form.

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Well, he's certainly found his way somewhere. Thank you so much Larner! I'm glad you like it. :)

[nialoke]

This has to be one of my favourites of yours. It's so powerful, and flows beautifully!

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! I'm so glad. *blushes*

[independence1776]

Oooh! I love this.

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Yay, thank you!! :)