Forevermore Poem by Eric Paeplow

On this night, dark and cold, seeking solace, my future foretold
Reading volumes of past stories told, of love and loss, forevermore
Sitting there, enrapt, engulfed in the soft velvet of my chair
My eyes grew weak, as the light slowly dimmed, at the candles flare
Silence then did fall upon my soul, silence there and nothing more

As my eyes grew heavy, the light did dim, as I slipped to dream
The velvet, warm and inviting, my dreams enticing and beguiling
Embers, slowly drifting from my hearth, fading fast, slowly falling
Hanging there, as if to live one last moment longer, then dying
At last going dark, leaving their cold carcasses upon my floor

As I slept there in my chair, dreaming dreams of love and despair
I thought my ears did hear; hear the sound of someone there
Awakened from my dreams, I stood, rested from my chair
Who is there? Who has come to see me whilst I dreamt, I declared
Not a word was spoken; emptiness greeted my eyes and nothing more

Just as I began to close my eyes, there the sound came again
Returning me to attention, to see who was there at my door
Yet again, silence, my only guests, the ghosts upon my floor
Standing now, quite awake, what can it be, a trees bough?
Creaking in the wind so cold, waking me from my sleep?

Yes, the wind, that is it, the wind, causing the bough to creak
I returned to the warmth of my velvet chair, my dreams did await
As my eyes did close, there the sound came, that sound, yet again
Startled and awake, I now demanded, who are you, beast or demon
Who are you, waking me from sleep, waking me from my dreams!

Hesitating no longer, I sprang from my chair, heading for the door
Flinging it open wide, I stepped outside, to see who was at my door
Yet, no one was there; no one was entreating entrance to my home
Stepping back inside, the only sound heard, the creaking of my floor
Cold and dark, awake and alert, I stood, stood standing at my door

Then came at last, the sound yet again, yet again, I stood in vein
Peering into the darkened room, a shadow did appear inside my door
Who are you, who have woken me from my sleep and from my dreams?
What tidings do you bring? What message do you bear, did I implore
Yet not a sound was made, the figure moved, not an inch from my door

Am I awake, or am I yet dreaming, is there really a dark figure there standing
The silence unbroken, my eyes wide open, yet not a single word was spoken
The dark figure stood there standing, standing there, inside my darkened door
Who are you, what is thy request, why have you entered my place of rest?
From the dark figure I heard but one word, one word, was at long last spoken

The word of dread, the word I feared, was spoken clearly, was at last said
It seemed strange to me, that my name should cause such fear, such pain
The silence broken, by my name outspoken, given as a simple sign or token
My end hath arrived; my fate hath entered my door, here to take my life
To take me to the land of lore, the land where I shall never reawaken

The dark figure then did outreach, the hand of fate, the hand of my destiny
His eyes have all the seeming of a demon, guiding me to the land of dreaming
My soul, from out my body, to that shadow that lies standing by my door, did go
From the comfort of my velvet chair, to the land of nevermore's cold plateau
My soul shall be lifted, lifted from my waking dreams, to dream forevermore