Tales from Mirkwood #1

.....drumrollllll.....

TA DA! IT IS THE FIRST OF THE MIRKWOOD TALES! WHOOP WHOOP!
I hope you like it!!

~~~

    An arrow.

    Not the pleasantest thing to see before you die.

     But a job is a job, and an enemy bred for evil is an enemy bred for evil, and therefore must be destroyed.
    That's what happened to the orc on the ground in front of me.
    I sighed, and slung my bow over my shoulder. I walked away calmly. It was over. The last marauding orc was slain, and Mirkwood was once again free of the vermin.
    "Eriathwen!"
    I turned to see someone waiting for me farther up the path. I hastened my stride to meet him, and bowed with a hand on my heart to show submission and respect as I reached him.
    "My lord Legolas," I greeted him.
    "Eriathwen. You fight very bravely. I might give you a promotion soon," he replied, smiling.
    I bowed again to hide my excitement. A promotion! From a simple guard to a captain of scouts--it had always been my secret wish.
    "Thank you, my lord," I said. "I will try very hard to serve as best I may."
    He bestowed a smile on me. This only served to heighten my excitement. Why, if he was pleased with me I might even receive official mention!
    "Come, Eriathwen," he said. "We must return to the palace."
    I gave a nod of assent and followed.
    Later that night I was creeping around the halls. King Thranduil was hosting a banquet for some of his lords, and with all my heart I wished I was one of them. The sight of the food loaded on the long tables made my stomach growl, even though I had already eaten.
    Suddenly I caught some of their conversation.
    "...and she jumped down right in the middle of the orcs, fighting like a panther. They never saw it coming."
    It was Prince Legolas speaking. He kept telling his story, and the lords were eagerly drinking it in, when suddenly I realized that they were talking about me!
    I went scarlet to the roots of my hair, then just as quickly became pale. This was my official mention! I listened attentively and watched the king from my hiding place behind a large pillar. He was listening carefully too--I could tell, even though he was staring at his wine as he swirled it around in his glass.
    "Such a fighter deserves a better position," I heard him say when Legolas had finished. My heart leaped high with hope. Could his next sentence contain my promotion?
    "Call her in here," Thranduil said suddenly, and a servant at his elbow bowed and walked away.
    I realized that the servant would come looking for me in the guardrooms (which is where I should've been), so I slipped out of the hall. As soon as I could, however, I started running, so as to get there ahead of the servant.
    I just barely made it. He met me right by the entrance to the guardrooms. Met me! It was more like I crashed into him as I rounded the corner.
    "The king wishes to speak with you," he said, cool as ever in spite of our near-collision.
    I followed him back, panting, with my hopes rising higher every second. Just one word from the king and I could be a Scout! I was so excited.
    The servant left me at the door, and I walked in, fighting down my tumultuous emotions. I don't know how I got down the room, but somehow I did, for I found myself standing at the opposite end of the table from the king, bowing with the Guards' Salute.
    "Eriathwen," Thranduil said, with his most gracious tone. "I have heard positive reports of you from my son. I am very pleased with you."
    I was speechless and tense from excitement, but I bowed again and managed to say something along the lines of "serving my king is my honor and privilege".
    "Such diligent and unrelenting patriotism deserves a fitting reward. If you continue your admirable deeds, you might just receive a promotion to Scout Captain in a year's time."
    A year! I was crushed instantly. I know I must've gone white, for the king looked at me with a questioning air.
   "Thank you, my lord," I heard myself say. "I am honored." Then I bowed once more, turned, and walked out. I strode numbly past the barracks, went outside to the small pond near the palace, sat down--and burst into tears.
    ....a YEAR!
    It was all hopeless. I had been striving toward my goal for three years already. My hope, my dream, had been held tantalizingly in front of me, so excruciatingly close--and then withdrawn out of my reach. I was heartbroken.
    I had been sitting for some time when I sensed someone behind me. I stood, wiping my tears, and turned to face Legolas.
    I was ashamed, and hung my head down before him. It is considered beneath the dignity of the Elves to cry over petty trifles. But he didn't look condescendingly at me.
    "I understand how much that promotion meant to you," he said. "I am sorry."
    I bit my lip. If he continued on like this I was sure to start sobbing again.
    "But you should not despair," he continued on. "This setback will only make you stronger. Think: I know you deserve that promotion now--there is no doubt about that. But in a year from now, you will have even more deeds to show for yourself. So do not despair!"
    He lifted my chin and gave me an encouraging smile.
    "Come, mellon," he said.
    Mellon. Friend. The Prince of the Woodland Realm had called me friend! I was instantly hopeful again.
    "Thank you, my lord Legolas," I said, and a small smile crept over my face.
    As I followed him back to the palace, I thought to myself, Maybe he's right. There is hope after all.
    And tomorrow was another day.

~~~

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT FOLKS
THE FIRST OF THE TALES FROM MIRKWOOD
YIPE
I HOPE YOU LIKE IT!!!

Tell me your thoughts ma peeps!!! I want to hear all of your real, true, honest thoughts on this new project of mine. Does it need improvement, or is it completely perfect already (HA)? Your opinions help!

An Idea with a Capital I ;)

Hi Elflings! It's me again, the unfaithful poster here on the Life Of An Elf :D sowwy...

ANYWAY I had an Idea and I was wondering what you peeps would think of it!

So I have started writing a series of short stories called Tales From Mirkwood (#cheesy), the main character of which is an Elf named Eriathwen, WHICH IS ACTUAL ELVISH FOR MY REAL NAME. YIPE.

..and my point was: I'm wondering if you readers would like for me to post them on here! I already have one story written, and I started the second one this morning. I can't wait to see what you think!

Tell me your thoughts! And if you would like to add a prompt for a Mirkwood Tale in your comment, feel free! I would love to hear your ideas! (plus I need prompts xD)

What I have learned about my Swanwing Characters so far!

Heyyyyy Elflings!

So you may have seen the title and gone, "Whoa, we only just got notified of this book like, a few posts ago, and she's already trying to inform us on every little ting..." :P And I don't blame you! (Oh, by the way, Swanwing is what I decided to call my "Wild Swans" retelling, and auto-correct does not like it xD) But I am so excited to be writing this book that I can't hold it in until I've gotten more written! As of yet it's only an intro and two chapters. Of course, as I write more, I will of certainly "find out more" about my characters, so keep an eye out for possible updates. ;-) So! Pardon the lack of material, but here goes!

What I've learned about:

Iskander (the king)
 Iskander has turned out to be the ladies' man... in his younger days before he was married. Ahhh, don't you just love writing flashbacks?? xD He is also super intolerant of unnecessary speeches :P

Imayn (the queen)
Imayn is SUCH a dear heart! She might have been a bit of a people-pleaser in her younger days (again, based on a flashback), and was so eager to have proper etiquette. She is such a cute mother, especially since she is so girlish, although mature. I LOVE HER!!

The Princes Regent
Nothing much as of yet. I mean, we're only two chapters in, so there isn't really all that much. Although Johann is the ladies' man already, at the young age of one xD Lol, all the court ladies LOVE him xD

Elise
Um... she's still a baby? xD Let's see... she's a really cute baby. :D


Ok, now I am wondering if this post had a point at all xD So how about a snippet or two? Sure, why not? :D

(Imayn is pregnant in this snippet, talking to four-year-old Gervase about babies)

"...Do you know, Gervase, that just now, I'm keeping a baby in the safe place for us?"

"Really!" he exclaimed. "Do you keep the baby in the treasury with Father's money? 'Cause that's a very safe place."

Imayn giggled.

"No, son, not in the treasury. The baby stays...in here." She took her son's little hand and put it on her stomach, which was just starting to show signs of the growing life within.

Gervase's eyes widened and his mouth gaped.

"There's a baby in there?" he gasped.

"Isn't that exciting?"

"Can I hold it? Please, can I hold the baby? Can you take it out, 'cause I really, really want to hold it!"

Imayn laughed.

"Not yet, Gervase! The baby still has to get big enough for us to hold."

"Is it gonna be a boy-baby or a girl-baby?"

"I don't know, but I hope it's a girl."

"Me too!" Gervase always wanted what his mother wanted. "I gotta go tell the others!"

He jumped down and ran out, and Imayn could hear him yelling "MOTHER'S GONNA HAVE A GIRL-BABY" at the top of his lungs all the way down the hall.

(This is part of the flashback I mentioned up there)

Later that evening, at the ball, Imayn was talking with a group of her friends. She was just about to say something when all of them gasped and started squealing behind their hands.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my!" gasped one of them.

"Is that--" began one.

"I think it it!" breathed a third.

"It's Prince Iskander!" swooned all five of them.

"Prince Iskander?" Imayn gasped.

"Yes!! And he's LOOKING AT YOU!" squealed Avariah, the youngest of the six.

(Fangirls, lol)

I know this post was short, but what do you think about it? Do you want to see more of this? What is something you would really like to see in this book? Let's talk: tell me your thoughts!

HAPPY NEW YEAR MA LEETLE ELFLINGS + Writing Fantasy Fiction: Dos, Dont's, and Absolute No-Nos (Part Two, the Dos)

Hey Elflings! 
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!! (a month late, sorry, eh heh...)
And to prove it's going to be a great year, I have a PRESENT for y'all!


Are you ready for it?




Part Two of Writing Fantasy Fiction: Dos, Don'ts, and Absolute No-nos--the Dos!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Readers: It's about time, Lacy...)


Aren't you EXCITED?!?!?! Of course you are! Let's get started!

BTW, sorry this took so long. Life, you know. :D


One and two go together somewhat:

1) Give your characters personalities.

2) Flesh them out nicely.

Have you ever read a book and felt that the character was, in some way, unfinished? The author probably didn't give enough thought to making the character's personality. So make sure you know how your person acts :D Give them quirks, feelings, looks, likes/dislikes, and all the things that make them "real"! 


3) Find yourself a person who will give you their honest opinion of your WIP if you ask for it. 
This is very important, bold, underlined, highlighted, italicized, twenty-eight-point Times New Roman. If you have someone who is reading your book as you write it, you want them to be honest with you when they give you their thoughts on it. 

What if you have a minor plot hole (and of course the audience starts screaming that plot holes are NEVER minor)? What if you don't notice it? That does happen, you know. If you have a beta reader who notices the plot hole, but doesn't tell you about it, you can have (and will most likely have) MAJOR complications later on. 

Another example: let's say you created *character*, who you think is great, but to others is like, um, borrrrr-ing. If your beta reader doesn't give you an honest opinion about *character*, your later readers will probably only read your book when there's nothing else in the house to read for whatever reason. OR, to throw in a worst-case scenario, your book won't even make it past the PUBLISHERS! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!  
And why? Because your beta reader didn't happen to tell you that *character* could use some work.
So find yourself a beta reader who can help you to see and change the things that need to be seen and changed. Unless, of course, you're trying to write a boring book. :P

4) PLOT DAT BOOK.
Refer to Part One, number one, for the reasons why this is important. :D


5) Have an element of fantasy.
Ok, so it is sorta obvious, but when you're writing a fantasy novel you need an element of fantasy. Otherwise it won't be fantasy. :P If you have a world where the unicorns talk and there are blue-skinned woodsmen, then don't leave out the talking unicorns and the blue-skinned woodsmen.

6) Have something that your readers can relate to.
I read a book recently. It wasn't really a fantasy book, in fact I think it was dystopian. But I didn't really relate to anything in it, probably because it was all about boys, and I am not a boy. xD By the way, the book was Lord of the Flies, if you wanna check it out and have nightmares. Anyway, whether it's a feeling, or experience, or whatever, you want something in your book that will make readers say, "Yeah, I know what THAT feels like!" or "Oh, I remember doing something like that!"

7) World-build.
Now, don't get me wrong, I have never world-built before. But a friend of mine has, and she told me that world-building can help you keep track of your story's geography. And world-building isn't just sticking mountains and lakes all over your imaginary world. It's also shaping the customs and traditions of your people. For example, there are questions as to how they greet each other. Here are some examples from this website:

When meeting someone, how are they greeted — wave, handshake, bow, some other gesture? How did the greeting gesture originate (example: shaking hands to prove one’s weapon hand was empty)? Is there a special I-am-not-armed gesture for wizards?

Is there a difference between the greeting offered to an equal and that offered to a superior or inferior? Is there a difference between the greeting offered a man or a woman? Human/non-human?

Is there a way of changing a greeting gesture to make it insulting?

How are two people who have never met normally introduced to each other? What is the order of precedence when there are several people of differing sex or social status present, all of whom need to be introduced to each other?

Are there classes of people/beings who are never introduced to other classes of people/beings? Are “true names” significant, and if so, under what circumstances would someone be given another person/being’s true name?

Are there customs involving the way in which someone is named when being introduced (for example: giving all of a person’s names and titles at the first meeting, but never repeating them afterward, so that he’s always referred to as “George” even though he’s introduced as the Duke George Edward Canterbury Gorden de la Suis-Foule, Marquis of Horsham, Whitewater and Framingham, Earl of St. Peter’s Close, and Vicount of Abernathy)?

(^^ I almost died xD)

Is there any difference in the way you greet someone you already know, compared to greeting a stranger (or does everybody just always hug or shake hands or whatever)? How does someone acknowledge seeing an acquaintance at a distance (passing on the other side of the street) — by a nod, tipping the hat, wave, smile, or not at all?

So you see, world-building can be complicated, but OHMIGOSH DOESN'T IT LOOK FUN?!?!?!? I wanna do this now! And ohmigosh, I can just imagine having a completed "Guide to *insert name of country in which book is set*" to read. That would be so cool! You could "visit" the world just by opening it!!!!

I am definitely going to do this!!

8) Give a hint as to how the cliffhanger is resolved.

If your book ends on a cliffhanger, the last thing you want to happen to your readers is this:

Am I right or am I right? Give them something to hold them over until the sequel. ;-)

9) Write an epilogue.

If your book does not end on a cliffhanger and is a standalone book, give some after-party in an epilogue. In the book Wait For Me, Watch For Me, Eula Bee, which is a great book, a lot of stuff happens and only at the VERY END does the girl remember her brother. LITERALLY. THE LAST SENTENCE. Here it is:

"Then he felt a touch at his side and a cool, small hand slip gently into his.

"'Lewtie?' came the one soft word."

AND THAT'S THE END!!! AND THERE'S NO EPILOGUE!!!!!!!!! AND AS FAR AS I KNOW IT'S A STANDALONE BOOK!!!!!!!!!! WHAT. NO. That drives me crazy!!!!!!! I wanna know what happened after that!!!

10) And finally, have fun.
Have fun writing your novel! Don't let it be something that gives you the same feeling as schoolwork you've gotten behind on. Oh, and catch up on the schoolwork. ;-)

Well! I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and once again, I am sooo sorry that this took so long! I accidentally took a hiatus in January, but I hope to be more consistent from here on out. :D

What do you think about Part Two? Do you agree/disagree with anything I've said here? Did I leave anything out? Tell me what your opinion is! I love hearing whatever my readers have to say. :D

My New WIP!!!

Hello my Elflings!

So I had this AMAZING STORY IDEA the other night!
Have you ever heard of The Wild Swans? It is an awesome story!
Here is the overview from Wikipedia:

In a faraway kingdom, there lives a widowed king with his twelve children: eleven princes and one princess. One day, he decides to remarry. He marries a wicked queen who was a witch. Out of spite, the queen turns her eleven stepsons into swans (they are allowed to become human by night) and forces them to fly away. The queen then tries to bewitch their 15-year-old sister, Elisa, but Elisa's goodness is too strong for this, so the queen has Elisa banished. The brothers carry Elisa to safety in a foreign land where she is out of the reach of her stepmother.

There, Elisa is guided by the queen of the fairies to gather stinging nettles in graveyards to knit into shirts that will eventually help her brothers regain their human shapes. Elisa endures painfully blistered hands from nettle stings, and she must also take a vow of silence for the duration of her task, for speaking one word will kill her brothers. The king of another faraway land happens to come across the mute Elisa and falls in love with her. He grants her a room in his castle where she continues her knitting. Eventually he proposes to crown her as his queen and wife, and she accepts.

However, the Archbishop is chagrined because he thinks Elisa is herself a witch, but the king will not believe him. One night Elisa runs out of nettles and is forced to collect more in a nearby church graveyard where the Archbishop is watching. Ghoulish spirits that devour the bodies of the dead are also in the churchyard, and the archbishop believes that Elisa is in league with them. He reports the incident to the king as proof of witchcraft. The statues of the saints shake their heads in protest, but the Archbishop misinterprets this sign as confirmation of Elisa's guilt. The Archbishop orders to put Elisa on trial for witchcraft. She can speak no word in her defense and is sentenced to death by burning at the stake.

The brothers discover Elisa's plight and try to speak to the king but fail, thwarted by the rising sun. Even as the tumbril bears Elisa away to execution, she continues knitting, determined to keep it up to the last moment of her life. This enrages the people, who are on the brink of snatching and destroying the shirts when the swans descend and rescue Elisa. The people interpret this as a sign from Heaven that Elisa is innocent, but the executioner still makes ready for the burning. When Elisa throws the shirts over the swans, her brothers return to their human forms. (Unfortunately, the youngest brother has a swan's wing instead of an arm, as Elisa did not have time to finish one sleeve of his shirt.) Elisa is now free to speak and tell the truth, but she faints from exhaustion, so her brothers explain. As they do so, the firewood around Elisa's stake miraculously takes root and bursts into flowers. The king plucks the topmost flower and presents it to Elisa, and they are married. And the youngest prince's wing becomes normal again.

Now isn't that an awesome story? So I decided to make an adaptation of it! I am so excited for this one. The version I have, though, names the princess Elise instead of Elisa, so I am going to use that. I also named all the characters, as they don't really have names in the story. And you see that it says the youngest prince's wing becomes normal again? I think that, in my story, I am going to leave him with one arm and one wing! I mean, would that not be cool? To have a swan wing? A swan wing that has the striking power of a baseball bat? Oh yeah! Sucker's keeping his wing alright! 

I suppose you want to know what I renamed them... of course xD

Here is a list of all characters I named:

King Iskander (Elise's father and ruler of Ivoria) 

Queen Imayn ( Iskander's first wife and co-ruler of Ivoria)

Queen Elewys (Iskander's second wife and evil stepmother)

Prince Regent Gauvain

Prince Regent Raullin

Prince Regent Giraldus

Prince Regent Renier

Prince Regent Bayard

Prince Regent Guerin

Prince Regent Tedric

Prince Regent Rogier

Prince Regent Gervase

Prince Regent Mainard

Prince Regent Johann (the one who keeps his wing)

Princess Elise

I also made pictures of them using the DollDivine website!
(I had to make two separate pictures for the Princes Regent 'cause there are so many of them xD)

l-r: King Iskander, Queen Imayn, Princess Elise, and the evil Queen Elewys:

l-r: Princes Regent Gauvain, Raullin, Giraldus, Renier, and Bayard 

l-r: Princes Regent Guerin, Tedric, Rogier, Gervase, Mainard, and Johann

(DOESN'T GERVASE JUST LOOK LIKE A GERVASE?!?!?!?)

l-r: the evil Archbishop Ouidart, Ricolda (the old lady Elise meets in the woods), Morgana the Fairy, and King Alexedris of Skaris (who marries Elise)

...and the reason that there are so many Princes Regent is that only one of them can succeed their father (duh), so the rest act as Regents. And Elise isn't a regent because there's only one of her, and her fate is pretty much decided as the final tie of an alliance xD  but then things happen *mysterious music* The prince's full titles would go something like "Prince Regent Johann Avar of Ivoria, Swanwing" Avar is the royal family's last name, and the italicized word is a title that they earn when they turn twenty, taken from the most important thing that they did or that happened to them in the years before.

This book will have thirty chapters, unless I forget to add something and have to lengthen it xD

I can't wait to share the ins and outs of this book as I write it!

What do you think of this story idea? Do you want me to share it chapter-by-chapter as I write it? Have you had any great story ideas lately?

Monday Funnies...

Hey Elflings!

So I just said something hilarious that I want to share with you. Well, it wasn't so much what I said as how ironic it was... :P

First you're gonna need the backstory:
A few years ago, some of my friends and I were playing in our church parking lot. There were some Magnolia trees at the edge of the asphalt, and I picked up one of the big pinecone-like thingys and proceeded to throw it at one of the boys (of course). This immediately started what we have ever after called *cue dramatic music* THE PINECONE WAR.  After "firing the first shot", I calmly walked away in slow motion wearing sunglasses as the war exploded in flames behind me. and didn't throw another pinecone or take any other part in the war for as long as it lasted.


Now, for the Funny:

Today, my sister was doing her Famous Men of Greece exercises and I was listening to her discuss it with my mom. They were trying to figure out who "the Trojan champion and prince" was (turns out it was Hector), and I said,
"I'll tell you one thing though, it wasn't Paris! Sure, he was a prince and all, but not a champion by any means. Nobody really liked him, not even the Trojans. Imagine the nerve of that guy, to go off and start a war and then not take part in it!"

.............

.............

...and then I remembered what I had done years earlier, and almost died laughing.

Have you ever done anything silly like that? What was it? I'd love to know!

Five Poems You Need to Read (and should memorize!)

Hey Elflings!
I was reading some poems a few days back, and I wanted to share some of them with you.

(Note: These are in no particular "order-of-preference" whatsoever.)

Number One:

Preparedness
Edwin Markham

For all your days prepare,
And meet them all alike:
When you are the anvil, bear--
When you are the hammer, strike.
        

This is a short yet powerful poem. Be ready. You never know what's coming. Don't be caught off guard.

Number Two:

The Fool's Prayer
Edward Rowland Sill

The royal feast was done; the King
Sought some new sport to banish care,
And to his jester cried: "Sir Fool, 
Kneel now and make for us a prayer!"

The jester doffed his cap and bells,
And stood the mocking court before;
They could not see the bitter smile 
Behind the painted grin he wore.

He bowed his head, and bent his knee
Upon the monarch's silken stool;
His pleading voice arose: "Oh Lord, 
Be merciful to me, a fool!

"No pity, Lord, could change the heart
From red with wrong to white as wool;
The rod must heal the sin: but, Lord,
Be merciful to me, a fool!

" 'T is not by guilt the onward sweep 
Of truth and right, oh Lord, we stay;
'T is by our follies that so long 
We hold the Earth from Heaven away.

"These clumsy feet, still in the mire,
Go crushing blossoms without end;
These hard, well-meaning hands we thrust
Among the heart-strings of a friend.

"The ill-timed truth we might have kept--
Who knows how sharp it pierced and stung!
The word we had not sense to say--
Who knows how grandly it had rung!

"Our faults no tenderness should ask,
The chastening stripes must cleanse them all;
But for our blunders--oh, in shame
Before the eyes of Heaven we fall.

"Earth bears no balsam for mistakes;
Men crown the knave and scourge the tool
That did his will; but thou, oh Lord,
Be merciful to me, a fool!"

The room was hushed; in silence rose
The King, and sought his gardens cool,
And walked apart, and murmured low:
"Be merciful to me, a fool!"

Wow, right? This one makes me think of the Bible verse from Psalms that says, "Though your servant is careful of them [God's laws], very diligent in keeping them, yet who can detect failings? Cleanse me from my unknown faults!" Beautiful! I myself am working on memorizing this poem.


Number Three:

A Friend's Greeting
Edgar A. Guest

I'd like to be the sort of friend that you have been to me;
I'd like to be the help that you've been always glad to be;
I'd like to mean as much to you each minute of the day
As you have meant, old friend of mine, to me along the way.

I'd like to do the big things and the splendid things for you,
To brush the gray from out your skies and leave them only blue;
I'd like to say the kindly things that I so oft have heard,
And feel that I could rouse your soul the way that mine you've stirred.

I'd like to give you back the joy that you have given me, 
Yet that were wishing you a need I hope, will never be;
I'd like to make you feel as rich as I, who travel on
Undaunted in the darkest hours with you to lean upon.

I'm wishing at this Christmas time that I could but repay
A portion of the gladness that you've strewn along my way;
And could I have one wish this year, this only would it be:
I'd like to be the sort of friend that you have been to me.

This is my heartfelt wish! Don't you just read this and respond from the depths of your soul, "Yes! Yes, this is how I feel too"? And sure, it says "Christmas" (and we're not there yet), but it goes year round, in my opinion!

Number Four:

I Shall Not Pass This Way Again
Author Unknown

Through this toilsome world, alas!
Once and only once I pass;
If a kindness I may show,
If a good deed I may do,
To a suffering fellow man,
Let me do it while I can.
No delay, for it is plain,
I shall not pass this way again.

MAKE THE MOST OF THE TIME YOU HAVE! At any time, you could die, and what would they remember you by? Make your life count!

Number Five:

Prayer of a Soldier in France
Joyce Kilmer

My shoulders ache beneath my pack
(Lie easier, Cross, upon His back).

I march with feet that burn and smart
(Tread, Holy Feet, upon my heart).

Men shout at me who may not speak
(They scourged Thy back and smote Thy cheek).

I may not lift a hand to clear 
My eyes of salty drops that sear.

(Then shall my fickle soul forget 
Thy Agony of Bloody Sweat?)

My rifle hand is stiff and numb
(From The pierced palm red rivers come).

Lord, thou didst suffer more for me
Than all the hosts of land and sea.

So let me render back again
This millionth of The gift. Amen.


What a beautiful poem! God has done the unthinkable for us... should we not do all we can for Him?



I hope you enjoyed this selection of poems, my Elflings! Read them, memorize them, share them! They come in handy for all situations. If you need something to put on a Christmas card, use A Friend's Greeting by Edgar A. Guest. If you need some motivation, recite Preparedness by Edwin Markham! Poems are super useful, and inspirational!

Have you ever read any of these poems before? Do you plan on memorizing any of them? Which one was your favorite?