The following event(s) took place in Middle-earth on February 14th:
- The Mirror of Galadriel (1419)
- Gandalf returns to life, and lies in a trance (1419)
- [Join us on the Discussion Boards here]
Category: Fans
Welcome to The Great Hall of Poets, our poetry feature showcasing the talent of Middle-earth fans. Grab your favourite beverage, and come and join us by the hearth. Enjoy!
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
Long Roads
by Tom Frye
The long road lies before you,
a far journey to reach your goal.
Miles of endless traveling,
but take comfort, O weary Soul.
Though you may seem far from nowhere,
Where you stand and where you’ve been,
all short-cuts with little traveling,
lead nowhere in the end.
So, if the road seems long, now.
And the journey much too tough.
Remember, gems and jewels,
are cut from rougher stuff.
And though it’s quite a struggle,
with Apathy a constant foe,
it’s the journey on the longer roads,
that helps your soul to grow.
So stay steady on your journey,
and surely you’ll succeed,
and claim the golden harvest,
where before were only seeds.
©Copyright 1999
Tom Frye
~~ * ~~
An Elegy for Boromir the Brave
(As sung by Pippin)
By Joseph Paul Hession
A dear old friend who never left my side.
Where arrows bend, he would not run and hide.
He stopped the ill, those creatures fell and shrill—
Now blessings send, in peace and calm reside.
A shining star who always showed the way.
If near or far, he’d come to brave the fray.
He came to aid, turned bent and evil blade—
To caring shield, in love and concord lay.
A mighty lord who carried me along.
When held to spear, he rescued me from prong.
He saved and freed, from dark and evil breed—
I bid thee hear, to you this blessed song.
~~ * ~~
Today in Middle-earth, January 15
- The Bridge of Khazad-dûm, and the fall of Gandalf (1419)
-
The Company reaches Nimrodel late at night (1419)
- [Join us on the Discussion Boards here]
The following event(s) took place in Middle-earth on December 25th:
- The Fellowship of the Ring leaves Rivendell at dusk (1418 )
- [Join us on the Discussion Boards here]
Welcome to The Great Hall of Poets, our poetry feature showcasing the talent of Middle-earth fans. So come and join us by the hearth, and enjoy!
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
Andreth’s Lament
by Caroline Flynn
The trees are bare, the wind is chill
But I remember the spring upon Dorthonion’s hill.
My hair is grey, my eyes grow dim
Yet they brighten when I recall him.
But between us a wide gulf spanned
Unbridgeable by any earthly hand.
I looked upon his flame, bright as the midnight star –
A light I could only behold from afar.
For he was a child of the earth’s morn:
I, mortal man’s daughter born.
He, an Elda, for whom the ages flow by,
I, of the Edain, doomed to age and die.
Yet our hands touched in the night,
And I felt his flame, sharp and bright
That burned in his eyes, touched his golden hair
And touched the heart of a maid, young and fair.
Joy for a short time, then long sorrow
And the dawn of our love had no morrow.
Did I alone love in those blissful days?
For in the end, you turned away.
On a grey morning you set forth
Answering the war-horns of the North.
Was it mist upon your face, or tears,
As you left me behind to fading years?
Youth’s years may indeed have been few,
But all I would have given to stand beside you!
Did you spurn the love I thought we had before?
I never asked, I saw you never more.
But in the regret, I found a friend,
As your brother sought the hurt to mend.
And he said that your love had been great,
And only unwillingly did you separate our fates.
But as we sat and by the fire spoke,
My hurt was healed, hope awoke.
I understood that you were not free,
But that you loved me as I loved thee.
In fire you fell, named the Sharp-flame.
But my memories shall no longer be regret and blame.
O irony! That I, the fading mortal
Shall outlive thy years immortal.
Farewell, my beloved! If beyond death’s rift –
Death, in hope Iluvatar’s gift –
Await me, remember me, beyond the night
Where shines the Everlasting Light.
~~ * ~~
Behold the Orc!
By Jennifer Russell
Behold the Orc, for such are we,
Spawned by fell necromancy
From steaming stinking depths we crawl
A curse on our heads and siblings all,
When we emerge from pits of hell
We blindly follow, swarm pell-mell
By Elven folk and men reviled
No more no less an evil child
With blackest thoughts and what ere’ defiled
Scorned and hated
Yet we were created..
Is it not said that from the Elves,
We were but moulded from themselves?
Those perfect beings so fair so wise
From them, in twisted aspect, guise?
Are we but YOU in fell disguise?
Ah think before you scorn and sneer
It is not us the Orc’s you fear..
Against your so called light you need…
Our darkness and our foulest deed!
~~*~~
Christmas came a bit early for Tolkien fandom as we learned about Fathom Entertainment bringing the Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Trilogy back to theaters in early 2026. Yup – the real-deal Extended Editions that stole whole weekends from us for the last 25 years. (No complaints here!) The LOTR Theaters 2026 event gives us another chance to go there and back again!
Tickets are on sale now, and honestly, it feels like the perfect excuse to get back into a theater, turn off the rest of the world, and remember what it was like to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with fans who cheer when Gandalf arrives at dawn and cry when Sam says he can’t carry it for you, but he can carry you.
This isn’t just about seeing the films again; it’s about feeling the Fellowship again. And, honestly, after the last few years, that feels long overdue.
So here’s our ultimate TORn guide to what makes these screenings special and why you absolutely should not miss them.
1. It’s the 25th Anniversary – Crazy!
Twenty five years ago, The Fellowship of the Ring strolled into theaters with tons of hype and basically rearranged our emotional connection to film for an entire generation. A quarter century later (holy crud are we really that old now?!), we’re getting a chance to celebrate the moment that changed fantasy filmmaking forever.
If you saw it in 2001, maybe you get to relive that excitement and nostalgia. If you weren’t old enough or somehow missed it, this is your moment to join the rest of us and say: I finally saw it on the big screen!
2. D-BOX Motion Seats – You Will Literally Feel Middle-earth
If you haven’t tried D-BOX before… oh boy. We think some of these screenings will have this available…
Imagine this:
- The Mines of Moria quake underneath you
- The Balrog roar vibrates through your seat
- The cavalry charge at Helm’s Deep moves your entire body
- Troll hits actually jolt your chair
It’s ridiculous and fun and honestly the closest we’ll get to signing waivers saying Yes, please physically toss me around during the Battle of Pelennor Fields.”
If you want immersion, D-BOX is the deluxe tier. It is not for the faint of heart though – so fair warning!
Continue reading “LOTR Theaters 2026 – Your Guide to the Trilogy’s Big Return”