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Upon the Night
| Open Poetry #23 |
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Upon the Night |
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Professor Gloom Member Elite
since 2000-07-23
Posts 3082of Depression |
Version 1* Once upon a twilight dreary, I hung my head sad and teary Over letter read time and time before, There sat sobbing, slightly crying, then there came a wailing, A fearful assailing, just outside my thrice bolted door, “Tis some murderer” I stuttered, “Assailing beyond my bolted door— Only that, and nothing more.” Ah, the old thoughts yearning, my mind then returning, Years of backwards turning to another October, We sat ‘round swilling, constant filling the whiskey willing, All thought dulling, till we could not remember, Was screams of war that assailed our sense of honor, Away strewn, with all the valor. The stars were burning brightly, the moon crescent slightly, We had patrolled nightly, across the shallow water, We were lightly walking, no whispers and twas no talking We were grim stalking, with search and destroy order, When there came the deadly blast of nearby mortar Death and blood, did greatly splatter. We rush the village center, firing wilding as we did enter, To eliminate all defender, to destroy the killing mortar, All became very still, all were shot many we did kill, Pools of blood did spill, mixing with the shallow water, Dead were old men and many sons and daughter, Destruction, gone was honor. We found on the outskirts, a few in the enemy’s shirts, And the mortar that works, that began the killing spree, We walked amongst the dead, the ground turned deep red From all that bled, the ending of many a family, We torched all the huts and a pyre burned for all to see, Consuming flame, was consumed me. Soon there was none at all, we returned for our mail call, To me a letter did fall, different from the ones received before, As I read and read on, it could have been addressed Dear John, Telling me I was done, she to me was just a closed door, Over was all our feelings everything was nevermore, Gone was all love, and any valor. Deeds done of destruction, we all were deplete of emotion, Lacking any great elation, opened the case of whiskey by the door, We sat there on trampled grass, around and around the bottle did pass, No one bothered with a glass, we drink to purge our souls of war, We drank and drank till we could not drink any more, Morning next, our heads were sore. It was a time to just kill, and return to drink to overfill, So nothing would spill, and emotions were nevermore, I didn’t remember, till came the next October, My duty then over, I returned from the foreign shore, I gave up guns and killing and just drank ever more, Sitting behind, a thrice bolted door. Gloom * This is a work in simi-progress, I may add a stanza or several, or modify it somehow. If anyone would care to submit a stanza or suggestion I will seriously consider all sent to me. |
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| © Copyright 2002 Aszard Drazlom - All Rights Reserved | |||
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nakdthoughts Member Laureate
since 2000-10-29
Posts 19200Between the Lines |
too real for some and for others just terrifying hearsay, Professor Poe |
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Zinsser Senior Member
since 2001-02-27
Posts 1641Calif. |
so much pain... well done Sir |
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Lady In White
since 2001-02-12
Posts 2799USA |
Gone was all love, and any valor... ~*~ Tender is the heart that writes oft into the dark of night for one love was loved so well that he would follow her into hell |
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Professor Gloom Member Elite
since 2000-07-23
Posts 3082of Depression |
Thank you, Nakdthought Some what belatedly, you are correct it is based on Poe’s work A hometown boy made good. Thank you, Zinnser, Also belatedly, always pleased by your support of my Meager words upon these blue pages. Thank you, Lady in White, For returning this to my thoughts, Perhaps I’ll get back to expanding it. Wonderful poetic response Gloom |
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