Poem of the Day: “Readers Auxiliary Meeting #17” by Mary Soon Lee, Frequent Contributor & Poet of the Week

Songs of Eretz Poetry Review is pleased to present “Readers Auxiliary Meeting #17” by Mary Soon Lee, a Songs of Eretz Frequent Contributor and this week’s Poet of the Week.  A biography of Ms. Lee may be found in our “About Our Editor & Frequent Contributors” section.

Readers Auxiliary Meeting #17

Mary Soon Lee

"Before we begin," said Victoria,

"How many of you read past “Fellowship”

to the end of The Lord of the Rings?"

(and they all had).

     "Only once through?"

     Gary asked Cristina,

     because she is the one

     who reads fastest,

     which is fortunate,

     because she is also the one

     with three young children.

     "This month: once," said Cristina

     (but she first read the book

     when she was ten, and read it again

     when she was ten, and read it again

     when she was ten, and the funny part

     is that tonight is her first chance

     to discuss it).

"It is a truth universally acknowledged,"

said Victoria, "that Tolkien's world-building

is masterful, but many criticize his characterization.

I disagree. He doesn't need to tell me

about Sam's childhood to make me like Sam."

     "It was because of Sam,"

     said Cristina, "that I liked Frodo

     the first time,

     because Sam loved him.

     But now I like Frodo

     for himself --

     when he said to Glóin

     that he would rather see Bilbo--"

"--than all the towers and palaces

in the world," said Victoria. "Yes."

     "I liked Frodo," said Kate,

     "because he's like me.

     He messed up. He was unhappy.

     But I hated Arwen,

     because she's perfect."

     "I loved Arwen," said Gary,

     "because she is perfect."

     "I loved Arwen," said Harold,

     "because she is sad.

     It's all sad,

     the whole book.

     I think Tolkien

     must have been sad

     when he wrote it--"

"--for thirteen years?" said Victoria.

"He started in 1936, and didn't finish

until 1949--"

     "--while he wrote," said Cristina.

     "Maybe he put his sadness

     into his writing.

     But I wish it were longer.

     I could read it forever."

     "Try The Silmarillion," said Liz,

     "it took me a whole summer

     and it felt like forever."

     (Cristina didn't say she finished

     The Silmarillion in a week, when she was twelve,

     because Liz was right:

     that week had seemed peculiarly long,

     and she would have given up,

     several times, except that

     Tolkien wrote it.)

"Apart from Arwen," said Victoria,

"was there anything you disliked?"

     Pause.

     "Well," said Kate,

     "I expect I ought to have liked the poems,

     but I didn't.

     I don't like poetry."

"I expect I ought NOT to have liked the poems,

because they weren't inscrutable enough,"

said Victoria, "but I liked them very much.

Perhaps because I am older than most of you,

I particularly liked Bilbo's poem in Rivendell,

'I sit beside the fire and think--'"

     "--yes!" said Cristina,

     "'in every wood in every spring--'"

"'--there is a different green,'"

said Victoria.  "Yes. Exactly."

     The cuckoo clock on the wall

     chirped eight times

     and Cristina told it in her heart

     to stop,

     to let there be time

     to discuss every chapter,

     every poem, every character

     with Victoria

     (and the others, but Victoria most)

     before Antonio came to pick her up,

     and then let time stop again

     so she could tell him everything

     she doesn't have time to say,

     and stop again

     so the children

     could stay in her arms

     longer,

     and never to come

     to nine o'clock

     or the Grey Havens

     or any ending.

Poet's Notes:  When I have free time, my favorite way to spend it is reading. Although I have never belonged to a reading club, writing about one lets me revisit some of my oldest and best friends, such as The Lord of the Rings.

Editor's Note:  I would LOVE to be in that reading club!