The Raven

The Raven

By Vyperbites

Once upon a midnight dreary sat a spider who was kind of strange and creepy.
Over many a day he pissed off people even more
While he weaved his web of forbidden lore came a tapping
As if someone gently rapping upon his web filled hole.
It is some prey and nothing more a trapping at my chamber door
It is only this and nothing more.

And in recalling it was in the days of winter
So thus he set fire to a village leaving many a ghost upon the moor
Eagerly waiting for dawn to come to hear the widow's sorrow
So he could cackle for the lives he borrowed to entertain himself like a whore.
Only one maiden was worth the pain of their screaming as he sat scheming some more
Her name be Kikyo the ghostly witch that haunted his dreaming as he would snore
He wished she be nameless for evermore.

His silken kimono a simple purple royal robe like curtain
Moved in the wind filling him with thoughts of her certain
A terror that his heart knew could be she rapping at his door.
A simple trap and nothing more
It is just some prey and nothing more
She who was his temptress that rocked his core.

Had he a soul he would be worried since no sound came from the tapping
The gentle rapping at his web strung home
It was the wind and perhaps was just a whisper
Of the girl that was Kanna's sister, just a ghost of the past as he was napping
A simple answer to be sure
Darkness was there and nothing more.

Doubting sanity he felt a tug like a dropping of lead
Of the dark and long strands of thread
Naraku's heart filled with dread and the screaming silence
A chill of sorts that countered his compliance
Of nothing but the wind against his chamber door
'Tis only this, what a bore.

Looking outside at the village burning
Soon came another tapping a pulling on a thread so suddenly stronger than before
It must be indeed some prey awaiting
Awaiting death's song's baiting
As his mind continued raving
A trap had sprung and nothing more.

Spinnerets gliding down he flung forward with sinister grace
A frown upon his long gaunt face
To only find a simple raven sitting perched upon the thread
Tapping came from the messenger of the dead
A grim ebony raven with a message dread
With eyes that burned bright red
Naraku sat and nothing more.

The ebony bird regarded him smoothly
As if to mock Naraku's cool countenance and mercy for not lancing
It too his chamber walls as it stood almost proud and firm
It should have died from the miasma thus was strangely entrancing
This creature stood almost prancing
Almost dancing at his empty throne

For a moment Naraku smiled and felt slightly beguiled
The creature was a demon bird and its red eyes waiting smelling
All the death he was creating as if it were thanking
Thanking the chaos he left at his door as his friends were banqueting
Upon the still unloving corpses baking
Baking upon their dirt grave floor.

Much as he marveled at the unattractive little beast it made one sound to the deceased
For none shall rise from their feast
'Nevermore' Quote the raven at his evil door.
For who was counting any score
Other than Kikyo who would come to the moor
She who would never grow old.

Sitting there Naraku fumbled wondering
Why this bird was not out plundering
Fattening up upon the dead that awaited outside his threaded home
Was it waiting to be nesting?
Inside the body he had been investing
That housed the young dead Lord?

Naraku sat wondering why it was waiting
Perhaps his guest was anticipating
A way to even out the score for the one he had taken
For death always follows crows and ravens
Scavengers looking for new havens
Within no heart beats for its home.

"I have nothing for you. Why are you waiting?"
Naraku stated contemplating
What this creature wanted of him entering his home so proudly
As if to mock him and scold him soundly
To tell him of his lack of fear so loudly
With that word Nevermore.

Naraku sat enraged at the creature
Whose eyes in darkness seemed its only feature
Wishing it to be gone so he could be alone once more as it mocked
Like she who haunted him, his love, his hate, his emotions locked
Where that specter of beauty continued to walk
A blasphemous being who should be no more.

There it stood still creeping lightly
Up his web it moved so slightly
As if to welcome itself home
"You are not welcome be gone." He stated softly
As the bird moved to hear him no matter how costly
With that same word of Nevermore.

"She is not here beast and there is no heart in me."
Naraku showed as he ripped his chest open the bird flew away you see
"No heart beats you see, for the woman I adore."
Naraku roared and the raven landed like before.
It seemed unmoved and nothing more.

"Do you mock me profit of evil, devil bird, demonic parasite?"
It would not leave as it kept hidden from the light in his dark chambers
Naraku purred as the demon sat waiting
Cocking his head he started stating
That simple word that it knew so well grating
On his very last nerve "Nevermore".

"Leave me to my lonely state for I do not wish for company!"
Naraku yelled angrily at his unwelcome guest.
However it stayed upon the thread stubborn as the dead
The dead that waited him in hells fires of red
Until it flew to be fed
And Kikyo's life ended at his door.
Quote Naraku "Forevermore".


Edgar Allan Poe

The Raven

[First published in 1845]

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
`'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; -
This it is, and nothing more,'

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
`Sir,' said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; -
Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!'
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!'
Merely this and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
`Surely,' said I, `surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
'Tis the wind and nothing more!'

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
`Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven.
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door -
Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as `Nevermore.'

But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'
Then the bird said, `Nevermore.'

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
`Doubtless,' said I, `what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
Of "Never-nevermore."'

But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking `Nevermore.'

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
`Wretch,' I cried, `thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee
Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore -
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

`Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting -
`Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!