All that is gold does not glitter
Not all those who wander are lost
The old that is strong does not wither
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken
A light from the shadows shall spring
Renewed shall be the blade that was broken
The crownless shall again be king.
~♥~
I suppose someone might wonder why I love this poem. First of all, it’s Tolkien, of course- the Christian literary genius who invented all kinds of crazy languages and imaginary worlds! The first time I read The Hobbit, I was completely swept away by this dapper fellow with the pipe who puffed magical smoke rings, and I had to read everything else he wrote, even the lesser known stories such as Farmer Giles of Ham and The Smith of Wootton Major.
But this particular poem is a favorite of mine for several reasons: first, because it appears in one of the first letters from Gandalf to the hobbits in Bree, and also because it is a lovely metaphorical mixture of prophecy and wisdom.
Here are some of the little treasures hidden in it: 1)There are many things more precious than gold that the world doesn’t recognize, contrary to the words of Led Zeppelin’s song. 2) Some people appear to be wandering because they are just on a different path. 3) Withering is only a physical occurrence that doesn’t affect the soul. 4) When the roots of faith are deep, they are incorruptible and untouchable by the frost of desire or trouble.
Then in the second stanza is an illustrated prophecy about a crownless King who will return and bring light and renewal back from among the shadows. Sounds like Jesus to me!
Light and Peace to Thee,
Sister Olive
Drifting into the Divine ~♥~ 