To The Moon-Lord, by Kaylee Arafinwiel

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

B2MeM Prompt: Full Moon (Purple)
Format: Poetry
Genre:Crossover
Rating: PG
Warnings: Silliness, but also sadness.
Characters: Tilion, Lena (Anne B. Walsh)
Pairings: Tilion/OC (unrequited)
Creator’s Notes (optional): Lena, who narrates this poem, is a character from “The Moon-Polishers”, a short piece written by my friend Anne B. Walsh and collected in her first “Week in Review”. (She's published many other things besides.) I’ve chosen to believe Lena is a Maia or other Ainu, likely of lesser power than Tilion. My poem is unrhymed and somewhat random, as my poems often are. I can rarely fit them to a deliberate structure (unless the structure itself is the prompt.)
Summary: My name is Lena, and my job is very important. I help to polish the Moon… Lena, one of the thousands of Tilion's helpers, reflects on her lord and especially the change in his transport (and her responsibilities) over the Ages. Set in our current Age.

“Wax on, wax off” is the phrase the Aftercomers use in this Age
It describes mindless work, all with a lesson behind it.
I help to polish Isil, bring him to the highest gloss
For you!

For you, my Lord Tilion, I do this
I, and my thousands of brothers and sisters.
We sweep away the dust, bringing this shining orb to full
The “waxing quarter”. I remember long Ages past
When this dusty rock was a mighty chariot, gleaming silver
Carrying the last flower of the Silver Tree.

But as the Firstborn diminished and were forgotten
So, have the Ages turned glory to mists of myth and memory.
Your chariot is no more, Kyeleperyon’s last flower is naught but legend.
And now we take care to shine this barren rock, even as long ago
We carefully polished the mithril-bright chariot you rode.

Now we must deliberately shirk – lest the Apanónar discover us.
For they trod in your realm, on this rock, and now, too, Isil is Marred.

All words are Quenya unless otherwise indicated.

Tilion - Maia of the Moon

Kyeleperyon - (Primitive Quendian)  Telperion, the Silver Tree (I felt Lena would be more comfortable with this older form)

Apanónar - Afterborn, Quenya name for mankind

Isil - The Sheen, name of the Moon

Comments

[zdenka]

That's a fun concept! I'm charmed by the idea of moon-polishers through the Ages.

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you like it! :) It's really Anne's fault for getting it into my head... *giggles*

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I liked that a lot, although it made me sad, somehow.

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean. The original story "The Moon-Polishers" made me a bit sad too, even though it was intended to be humorous, I think, so I'm glad that carried over. Thank you!

[mithrial.livejournal.com]

Does a poem need to rhyme? I don't think so, and your words flow so beautifully.
A very imaginative piece. Lovely to read. Thank you.
.

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Thank you Mithrial! I'm glad you liked it. I can't claim credit for all the imagination behind it, of course - Anne was responsible for Lena's creation :)

[shirebound]

That's quite a unique idea, beautifully written.

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Thank you Shirebound! :)

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed this beautiful poem. These two lines in particular stood out for me. What memories this rock must have!

When this dusty rock was a mighty chariot, gleaming silver
Carrying the last flower of the Silver Tree.

I love the idea that there would be people who care enough to continue this task long after the past was a distant memory.

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Thank you jenni :) I loved the idea too, which is why when I read Anne's story the idea just sort of clicked. If there's moon-polishers, and the Moon is steered by Tilion, then he must be in charge of them, right? And it just went from there.

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

Aw no, it still shines silver in the night sky, she mustn't be sad and think it less now just because we stupid Aftercomers HAD to go take a closer look at what had survived the ages.

Poetry is a mood, at its best it has very few rules :) I liked this.

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

I think she's more frustrated that since we stupid Aftercomers left footprints and a flag and whatnot else up there, they can't clean those up. XD Suppose more of us went up to have a look and make sure they were still there? So they can't clean up the whole Moon anymore. *still, thinks Lena needs a cuddle anyway*

Thanks very much for your review, Kei!

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

What a fascinating concept! I love the way in which you combined fact and myth here, incorporating different interpretations of the moon - and making them both true (at the same time, even)! Lena's thoughts that Isil is now Marred, too, were a little heartbreaking, while her dedication to her task (even now it has become thoroughly less beautiful) is very sweet. It makes sense that Tirion would have lots of helpers to clean the moon-surface after he got it burnt yet again... :)

As for the rhyming or structure, I don't think you need to worry about that. I read a German poem back in school which dealt with exactly this question, which in English would go something like this:

In days of old, in ancient time,
They thought a poem had to rhyme.

Today we know
that all a poem
needs is
random line breaks.

So there. ;)

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Thank you Oloriel! And now you've piqued my curiosity: what does that poem look like in German? (I'm trying to learn German)

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Hah! I managed to google it and... it's actually rather different: Here you go! (http://www.lyrikwelt.de/gedichte/ritterg1.htm) (Let me know if you want me to translate/paraphrase!)

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, a translation would be appreciated :) thank you!

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

There was a time
when people thought
a poem
had to rhyme.

There was a time
when people thought
a poem
had to remain incomprehensible.

Today we know:
A poem is that which
breaks lines.

Not perfect, but as close to the original as I managed while still producing idiomatic English. :)

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

I like it a lot! :) Thank you!

[starbrow.livejournal.com]

Love it! Lena has such a spirit and energy to her, I can almost hear her voice chanting this to Tilion.

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! :)

[independence1776]

This is a really neat idea! The sadness fits it.

Also, free verse poetry is my favorite, so I'm yet another in the "poetry need not rhyme or have structure" crowd.

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Yay! Thank you so much for your lovely comment. :)

[nialoke]

This is lovely! Poor Lena, to feel that they and their lord have been diminished so, but very in keeping with canon, I feel - the "glory of the Elder Days" must fade into legend...

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

I can't take credit for Lena herself or the Moon-Polishers concept, those are from Anne B. Walsh. :) But I believe Tilion = the Man in the Moon from Roverandom, and that they're both the same Man in the Moon we know today, so that means Tilion's chariot became our Moon somehow. And if Lena was a lesser Ainu of some kind serving Tilion, who fell in love with him...well, I feel sorry for her too. Thanks so much!