These Are My JOTtings, Part #2

Chasing the Brass Ring

Frodo Baggins climbed Mount Doom,
until he had no strength to climb.
He fell upon his face,
until Samwise Gamgee lifted Frodo on his shoulder.

Up and up and up the steps,
until attacked by Gollum,
then down and down and down they tumbled.

Finding new strength,
Frodo ran through the doorway into the mount.
At the end of the precipice,
he lost his strength, again.
This time it was the strength of character
to do the right thing to end the evil of Middle Earth.

Throw the ring into the lava, Frodo.
You will end the life of Sauron,
evil will be defeated.

Throw the ring into the lava, Frodo.
Your battle will be o'er.

Throw the ring into the lava, Frodo.
The Fellowship has worked so hard to give you victory.
It's time to give them victory in return.

"It's mine! No one can take it from me!"
Frodo vanishes, and so do all hopes for the continuation
of a free Middle Earth.

From the cusp of victory, Frodo starts to saunter out into the night,
until...
Gollum sees his footprints on the ledge,
jumps on his back,
and bites off his ring finger with the ring attached.

Bloody, screaming, painfilled Frodo is now seen,
holding his mangled, spurting, bloody hand.

Gollum dances victoriously with the brass ring
held high in his gnarly little fingers,
until balance lost,
he slips,
he falls,
he holds high his precious,
even after his selfish face is swallowed by the river of lava.

Finally, the brass ring meets its demise
in the grasp of the flaming lava flows of Mount Doom,
and Sauron is defeated.

Too often we choose a goal in life,
that does not fill us with life.
It only fills us with death.

Chasing the brass ring,
we leave the ones we should love.

Chasing the brass ring,
we are consumed by ownership,
until ownership owns us.


Chasing the brass ring,
we are consumed by that which should be given to God.

Chasing the brass ring,
we possess, and we lose.
First, we lose ourselves,
then we lose an irreplaceable part of ourselves,
that we may once again find,
that which is best for the consumption of our hearts.

Losing the brass ring,
we gain friendships.

Losing the brass ring,
we gain the Lord.

Losing the brass ring,
we lose death.

Losing the brass ring,
we gain life.

Gain the world.
Lose our soul.

Lose the world.
Gain true life.

----------------------------------

"For what is a man profited,
if he shall gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul?
or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
(Matthew 16:26, KJV)

by Jay O’Toole
on September 5th, 2020