occasion by the river

are you alive
or are you dead
the hobbit
asks
of Dwarves
while they are spitting up and out
river water
packing
straw
and thankful
none too thankful for
being free
and
yet they are

and thanks to the halfling for
half-height
saving all them
if
by an assist of magic
that he
does not understand yet is
convenient doding locks
in
a palace

and now the quest may go on
with rooks
and thrushes
maps
secret doors and try not
to consider
how one might burn
by
dragon

and the poet writes occasions

restore the old
honor new
and
a party ‘round a huge old tree
for both

then the occasion is a book
the red one of his own
with
help in finishing
and then it
goes to
us

and our safe-keeping
but not by leaving
the book
closed

but hear
and then
well
harken

c l couch


The Hobbit is a novel by J. R. R. Tolkien

I don’t know how I thought about this moment in the story and to start writing on it

photo by Mike Holford on Unsplash--“Minutes from stepping off the ferry to Sark Island, we decided to walk to the campsite via the coast path. This tree really stood out as a contrast to the yellow glow of the field and the brilliant blue if the sky and sea. Looking forward to exploring the island more!”