'BEING JRR TOLKIEN'...

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

AS THE YOUNGER TOLKIEN...

BEING INTERVIEWED...

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 her dad's volume of 'The Hobbit' because the child had been so engrossed in the session…

AS THE MILLER: THE WHITE OGRE...

...NOT THE MOST PLEASANT OF FELLOWS...

AS GOLLUM...