Eä's Redemption by AaronAzrael  

Of the beginning of days (...x11 next continuation)

The Elves had the reticent concept
that human folk often grieved Manwë,
the closest Valar that Eru dearly kept
most acquainted with his design's expanse.

The Quendi deemed people to be
similar to Melkor in their spirits;
although the fallen Elohim did feel
only fear for them and their specifics.

He actually despised them greatly,
even when they served his objective;
for he innerly perceived, innately,
that they carried deeper perspective.

The human children were mere guests
in the vast lands of Arda, where others
were bound to remain and know not the rest;
The Atani travelled beyond these borders.

The Elves could never fathom the notion
of where these souls would travel, so far;
they, instead, had profoundest connection
with the local planet, its water, earth and air.

For they could never age, nor wither,
nor fall in sickness or a mortal bane,
save they were slaughtered; they could linger
due to mourning, melancholy and pain.

And if sadness caused their light to quench,
they would enter the Halls of Namo Mandos,
where they would wait eternity to attend
their wounded souls; ultimate fate undisclosed.

Sometimes they would be permitted to return,
or they would wander in the Halls of Waiting,
what would happen after the trial - unknown;
only yearning and zeal for Arda, never fading.

Meanwhile, people would have long been gone
beyond the fate of all residents of local nature,
even the Valar would hope to peek beyond,
in aggravated time when they'd invoke patience.

Yet Melkor would cast a shadow on the gift
of humankind to be free Strangers of Will,
their hope filled with posionous twist
convincing their goodness to choose evil.

Nonetheless, the Valar had predicted
back in the dawn of their constellation,
that the humans would be admitted
to the Second Music of Creation.