" Bilbo" and " Frodo " on their own again at Bag End last night.
Nick and Mike in the Lonely Mine
Down in the earth where the daylight fades,
Nick and Mike worked with picks and spades.
No crowd behind them, no cheering crew,
Just two old friends with a job to do.
The mine was deep, the air was thin,
But they had grit carved deep within.
No maps, no guides, no fancy gear,
Just stubborn hearts that knew no fear.
Nick swung hard with steady might,
While Mike lit lamps to chase the night.
Dust clung thick to skin and bone,
But neither man would dig alone.
Their friends had laughed, then walked away—
“Too hard,” they said, “no gold today.”
But Nick just nodded, Mike just grinned,
And deeper still, they both descended.
They struck no gold, no gems, no fame,
Yet neither man would place the blame.
For what they found was something more—
A bond that richer men ignore.
The world above may never know
The tales that from that tunnel grow.
But in the dark, their legends shine:
Nick and Mike, the hearts of the mine.