The following was written as an assignment in my Freshman year at the University of Connecticut in November of 1987.
Óran rode upon his steed.
Black as soot and of noble breed.
Across the plain of Nan Anduin,
On which the orcs had brought death,
and ruin.
Towards his foe,
He rode with speed.
The crack of bone and rip of flesh,
His steed was down, his foe he met.
Flail ready, he swung with ease.
Shattered skull, it fell,
And twitched.
Óran lay there strong and true,
As it was an arrow had run him through.
On the plain of Nan Anduin,
All around was death and ruin.
I no loner remember what the assignment was, but you can clearly see the influence J.R.R. Tolkien had on me. I’d read The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings at least three times each by that point. But also there is a strong influence from Gwynne Dyer’s War and John Keegan’s The Face of Battle.
I do not believe war is futile or good for nothing, sometimes it is the only choice, and, whether we like it or not, it can be quite effective. However, the act of war is horrible and heartbreaking, and as with our hero Óran here, our good guys don’t always make it home. In fact many of the most heroic don’t. Which is why Óran falls.
I don’t think I meant this when I wrote it, I really just loved (still do) that style of Tolkien-like fantasy, but war also dehumanizes the enemy, and orcs really couldn’t be a better metaphor for that.
Now that I have experienced war and combat, I read and watch The Lord of the Rings in a whole new context and there is so much Solider’s wisdom imbude in that work it is remarkable. Some day, maybe, I will have more to say about this.
Copyright Keith Kay 1987