Lawrence Hall, HSG
Mhall46184@aol.com

                        Each Birthday is a Step in the Right Direction

                               The Road goes ever on and on,
                               Down from the door where it began

                                                   -Tolkien

A birthday is not the beginning of something new
But rather part of a continuing story
From its Prologue and its Chapter One
Through the dark leaves of Mirkwood and beyond

Yes, there be dragons, more than ever, it seems
But sometimes still we glimpse magic by moonlight
Or take an ale or two at a wayside inn
Then sticks and packs again, our faces set West

If this were my last hour, I still could say
With Tollers and Jack: the Road goes ever on