'BEING J.R.R. TOLKIEN': A NEW POEM...

Being J.R.R. Tolkien

I was in role, in a sports jacket dressed;

A trilby hat and gaudy waistcoat I wore

And from my mouth protruded a pipe.

School pupils filmed and interviewed me, impressed

About my life, my books and the Great War:

I WAS Tolkien and the children bought into the hype…

I withdrew from the Tolkien role, the session was concluded

But a child then nervously approached:

“Would you sign my dad’s copy of ‘The Hobbit’ please?” she dared to ask…

Such utter shock my expression surely exuded,

Her teacher nodded, as her guidance I broached

And thus I dipped my pen in ink to complete the unusual task…

I signed the edition for the child’s dad,

A dead man’s mark I’d created;

She watched, bewitched at my invention

And yet I became overwhelmingly sad,

For it was a forgery that I had innovated,

But to please the girl had been my sole intention…

Pete Ray

October 2016

I had been Gollum, also the miller and then I had changed costume again to become JRR Tolkien at Sarehole Mill in Birmingham but one very bright girl, totally fascinated by Tolkien’s work had ignored the fact that I was in role and had believed that I really was the long dead writer. 

Her teacher wanted me to sign the volume because the child had been so engrossed in the session…