The Long Days Chore part 1
Chris Mumford
I had just settled in from the long day’s chore,
When a rapping came at the cellars door;
No one was expected at this late hour I’m sure,
Be gone of me I beg you, I must implore;
But still a rapping came from my cellars door,
And this time much louder than it had been before;
Whoever this is I began to abhor,
I yelled “just leave me alone or there’ll be hell to pay for”;
All of the sudden the rapping had stopped,
I sank into bed, my heart quickly dropped;
Where has he gone, and where could he be,
And wherever he is, have is eyes fallen on me?;
A maddening thought had entered my head,
What if this man wishes me dead;
O’ this night I dare not fall asleep,
To give him free reign of my home to creep;
Slinking about in the cover of night,
Hidden from me, hidden from sight;
I can’t take these thoughts for a moment more,
Compose myself and make for the door;
I hear my hearts thumping, pitter-patter,
Clanking and clicking, my teeth all a-chatter;
My hand finally reaching the door,
Now the infernal rapping once more!;
I shrieked out a shout,
That he had heard no doubt;
My heart beating out of my chest,
“What’s all this rapping about!”;
I decided that I could take no more,
Slowly and steadily open the door;
Cracking and creaking as if I were sneaking,
Arouse all my senses, my perception is peaking;
O’ it was more than I could bear,
Open the door and no one was there;
Is this all a trick?,
Who about these parts would dare?;
Anger filled me to my core,
I came in in a fit and slammed shut the door;
And laid myself back into my bed,
When a rapping came at the cellars door;
Fear has all but left me,
I rush to the knob and gently;
Open the cellar door,
Once again he is there no more;
In a fit of rage I declare, a most crazed outpour,
“The next who raps upon my door, may they live no more!”;
Yet once again I make for my bed…
Time to lie, my heads-grown weary,
Exhausted-Lo’ the dark nights-dreary;
Does he slink, does he creep,
Still I do not dare fall asleep;
For if my intruder does grow near,
I fear my fate if I do not hear;
I awaken in shock and fall to the floor,
When a rapping came at the cellars door;
In a cloud of confusion,
I fell into illusion;
No longer myself,
I’ve succumb to delusion;
As I mentioned a-fore,
If I heard that rapping once more;
I’d see to it myself,
That he lives no more;
To be continued….