The Raven: Next Morning

Once upon my chair, reclining, my eyes woke to sunbeams shining,

Joyful sunbeams undermining what had passed the night before,

Difficult it was, believing that the night had been deceiving,

But the shadows dark were leaving as the day rose to the fore,

Shadows in my mind were leaving as the day rose to the fore,

Phantom dreams, and nothing more.

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Sleepily, I quit my study, all my thoughts disturbed and muddy,

Clutching still at vestiges of what I thought I did abhor,

"Should," said I, "leave past behind me, since it seems to always find me,

Even in dreams does it bind me with the mem'ries of Lenore,

Should I dare to dream of sleeping without weeping for Lenore?

To forget for evermore?"

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On this puzzle long I pondered, wandering as my mind wandered,

Near convinced that searching for release would only bind me more,

Now without a demon haunting, I considered choices daunting,

To defy the silent wanting of my heart for pain and sore,

Silent wanting for the payment of my wrongs through pain and sore,

Pain to lessen nevermore.

-----

So decisively I treaded where before my soul had dreaded,

Toward a new day I was headed with naught but day's light in store,

And my tired eyes were clearing, for no longer was I hearing

Whispers deep within me searing as a lion's mighty roar,

Whispers that accused abandonment with each new mighty roar,

Might I hear them nevermore?

-----

Confidence inside me flowing, I turned to the window, knowing

That in all the halls of darkness, I had opened a new door,

At the window, I was thinking I would watch the sunbeams winking

But a vision stopped my blinking, into both eyes did it bore,

Blackened, feathered form to shroud the sun that skies above now bore,

And to leave me nevermore.