Sing the Funeral Song


Ah broken is the golden bowl! the spirit flown forever!
Come! let the burial rite be read--the funeral song be sung!

Free her corpse from the looking glass,
unbraid her raven hair that hell might see its glory!

She served my heart the bitter tea of love’s spell
only to shatter my affection with her disallowance.

I wished her gone, but the grave was not my desire.
Circumstance found her hung from the ribbon tied at her neck.

The night black and the forest treacherous,
a tree sentenced her to death with its branches around her throat.

Lenore is gone and yet I see her face in every chamber of my heart.
I pray my open eyed nightmares will cease when I see dirt thrown upon her breast!


©Susie Clevenger 2012
Ellen Wilson at Real Toads' Hallow's Edge prompted us to write a Halloween poem,
but her trick was we must use a line from a ghost poem.
I chose Edgar Allen Poe's poem Lenore to open my poem with.

Comments

jabblog said…
Love scorned and regrets - revenge and sorrow mixed - wonderful.
Daydreamertoo said…
Chloe and I had this very conversation last night, about wishing someone dead and then, if they happened to die, living with it on ones conscience, if you can.
Yikes, chilling and very effective read. I think Poe would be pleased.
Margaret said…
Oh, this is fantastic. I can feel the panic, the haunting that has really just begun!
Unknown said…
be careful what you wish!
Teresa said…
This is just chilling! Wonderful write.
Sherry Blue Sky said…
"She served my heart the bitter tea of love's spell". Poe could not have written it any better........great work, kiddo!
Ella said…
YOU sure know how to capture POE!
It has a romance and panic feel~
Clever and so hard to achieve!
I loved it! :D
Poe would be honored~
Happy Halloween
Unknown said…
Very dramatic! Should I say "Poeish"???
Helen said…
Poe==try perfect!!
Scarlet said…
Chilling write...I like the tree sentencing her to death ~
Kerry O'Connor said…
Your opening couplet is magnificent and sets the scene for your Poe-esque piece very well.
Maude Lynn said…
Marvelous, creepy write!
Kay L. Davies said…
This is perfectly Poe, Susie. You aced this prompt!
K
Carrie Van Horn said…
Wow a hauntingly amazing write Susie!!
Marian said…
ahhhh, Lenore! love your exclaiming, Susie!