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Description
The River Woman

I am forever old and young; the same but ever changing as I run.
I came to be when Eru bade the Ainur sing, and brought the world to life.
I ran my course in Melkor's time, when two trees lit the land before the sun.
My waters coursed across the land eternal in a world of change and strife.

My spirit settled here and stayed and flowed from mountains on into the sea.
The bones of mountains fed my strength and I in turn gave life and drink to all.
The world around went by and I saw every age and how it came to be.
Then daughter of the water made of sprit and of laughter came to call.

She came with love and beauty and made laughter in my ripples as she played
We were together always, I the river, she the daughter of my heart.
She sang and danced and gave me joy, and I was there with love time could not fade.
We are eternal and I did not think that someday she and I would part.

One day she met Tom Bombadil and pulled him in beneath my cool water
He lost his hat, and scared the fish, and bade her sleep in waters cool and deep
She fled and slept again as he had asked, but something stirred within my daughter.
Her heart was warm to him. She smiled inside, and sorrow to my heart did creep.

He came to her again within the reeds and said that she should leave my side.
He said there was no lover in the river and she should not be alone.
He said "come live beneath the hill with me" and she said "I shall be your bride".
I felt my river heart grow cold with weeping and then dry up like a stone.

I am forever old and young; the same but ever changing as I run.
I came to be when Eru bade the Ainur sing, and brought the world to life.
But now there is no laughter in the waters of my flesh beneath the sun.
For I am old and Goldberry has gone to be Tom Bombadil's good wife.

© 2004 by Ken Linder

Description
The River Woman

I am forever old and young; the same but ever changing as I run.
I came to be when Eru bade the Ainur sing, and brought the world to life.
I ran my course in Melkor's time, when two trees lit the land before the sun.
My waters coursed across the land eternal in a world of change and strife.

My spirit settled here and stayed and flowed from mountains on into the sea.
The bones of mountains fed my strength and I in turn gave life and drink to all.
The world around went by and I saw every age and how it came to be.
Then daughter of the water made of sprit and of laughter came to call.

She came with love and beauty and made laughter in my ripples as she played
We were together always, I the river, she the daughter of my heart.
She sang and danced and gave me joy, and I was there with love time could not fade.
We are eternal and I did not think that someday she and I would part.

One day she met Tom Bombadil and pulled him in beneath my cool water
He lost his hat, and scared the fish, and bade her sleep in waters cool and deep
She fled and slept again as he had asked, but something stirred within my daughter.
Her heart was warm to him. She smiled inside, and sorrow to my heart did creep.

He came to her again within the reeds and said that she should leave my side.
He said there was no lover in the river and she should not be alone.
He said "come live beneath the hill with me" and she said "I shall be your bride".
I felt my river heart grow cold with weeping and then dry up like a stone.

I am forever old and young; the same but ever changing as I run.
I came to be when Eru bade the Ainur sing, and brought the world to life.
But now there is no laughter in the waters of my flesh beneath the sun.
For I am old and Goldberry has gone to be Tom Bombadil's good wife.

© 2004 by Ken Linder