The Long Days Chore Part 1 Poem by Chris Mumford

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….