My Lenore

By Subhagata Chowdhury

Thus the day came to a halt,

And the night began to stall,

As I laid down.

Thinking of what I had done,

And what has gone,

In the dreary dark town.

Perched myself on the bed,

Trying hard to ward of death,

In the arms of fatigue.

Trying to dream of valleys and falls,

But ending up with deserts and galls,

Which have but left me weak.

As my eyes downed the shade,

And as things began to fade,

In the oblivion.

I heard a gentle rapping,

On the door a gentle tapping,

As if a lost kinsman.

I doubted for a second,

The wind might be I reasoned,

Before I opened the door.

“Who are you?”

“Give a sign or two?”

But no sound came anymore.

Heaving a long deep sigh,

Thinking about the darkness of the night,

Wide opened I the door.

None whosoever,

Not a beast, a human neither,

Only darkness stood afore.

The stillness came engulfing,

Haunted my whole dwelling,

Reminding me of the tales of yore.

Chronos held me up in time,

Had my senses all in a bind,

Remembering my lost Lenore.

The stillness was disrupted,

A raven uninvited,

Took shelter in my abode.

Shriveled up in panic,

Like a troubled lunatic,

As if some ill omen was bestowed.

Said frantically, “Evil,

No matter if bird or devil,

Don’t stay here anymore!”

The ominous looking raven,

With a grave disposition,

Said in a croaked voice, “Evermore.”

The raven never flitting,

Was still in their sitting,

Above my wooden door.

He showed no sign of distrust,

As all things they must,

He will go nevermore.

Stood in awestruck gaze,

Watching the raven in a daze,

Wide opened I the door.

Plodding up to the bed,

Remembering the stories of the dead,

Crying for my sweet Lenore.

By Subhagata Chowdhury