b2mem | "Black and White" by Lingwiloke

B2MeM Prompt and Path: “Black and White” - Blue Path, Square One./Wildcard: “Complete any prompt from the blue (four dots) path” – Green Path, Square Two.
Format: Poetry
Genre: Drama
Rating: Teens (Better safe than sorry, I guess)
Warnings: Implied character death
Characters: Maeglin
Pairings: None
Creator’s Notes (optional): I am attempting poetry? What is this madness [Also on AO3 and the SWG]
Summary: Maeglin realizes that during his visits to the dwarves he felt less of a stranger than during his time in Gondolin.

Black and White

They say I was born to darkness
I thought to prove them wrong

I think of the time I left the twilight under trees for a different dark
for halls of stone, kings under mountains
whispers in the halls of ever-night, secrets waiting to be found
treasure chamber full of wonders.
And after-
ember-glow, molten heat of creation
low rhythm of the forge, heart-beat of the earth
gruff voices, full of warmth and ringing laughter
honest work and honest men and women
strangers, all, when I came, but when I left
my brothers, sisters, below the stone.

With high hopes
I came to your city on the hill, glaring bright
white-washed walls, streets of glass and marble
clean, cold, every stain displayed
in stark relief.
A frigid city, frozen in time,
your people never truly left the ice behind.
Stranger in a city of strangers
poisoned secrets hidden in plain sight
towers climbing into
empty sky
and I
fall