The Cemetery at Midnight

 

 

 

 

As the Sun forsakes the Earth-

And as the Night is given birth-

 

A stormy gale's wind and rain-

Shall make our world seem insane.

 

Upon a plot, upon a hill-

The Hallowed Ground has fallen ill-

 

Where once a blessed building stood-

Naught remains, save old frame wood.

 

The withered trees of pine and birch-

Stand tall behind a rotting church-

 

The wood is rotten and decayed-

The altar's silver trim is grayed.

 

Before the trees, behind the chapel-

There is a single tree of apple-

 

But it no longer bares that fruit-

For it is dead without its root.

 

That single tree is to behold-

The mystic wonders of the cold-

 

The freezing rain and sleet and shade-

Undoing all that time has made.

 

There is a pass way in the trees-

Where anyone can walk with ease-

 

It leads into a clearing there-

That cemetery gates do stare.

 

A place where loved ones cried their tears-

Although the place is young in years-

 

The Sands of Time have seen it whither-

Where spiders crawl and serpents slither.

 

Within the cemetery ground-

The keenest sense would hear no sound-

 

The Hallowed ground with hollow spaces-

Where rotted corpses have no faces.

 

Cast in marble and in stone-

A single angel stands alone-

 

Though time has seem him fall from grace-

And wear has taken off his face.

 

Archaic headstones all about-

Though all with names they are without-

 

When alive, they were abased-

In Death their memories erased.

 

And as the clouds of storm and gale-

Strike down the grass with rain and hail-

 

Two lovers young, and joyous prance-

Into this place where shadows dance.

 

Two people who are young and lush-

The weather's chaos gives them rush-

 

And even in this dire weather-

Rain shall not pierce their coats of leather.

 

The two young lovers pass the steeple-

Pulled by desires known by people-

 

The passion held in youth controls-

All emotion in their souls.

 

Pronouncing words of love they wonder-

Through lighting great and booming thunder-

 

With mighty chaos in the skies-

They are lost within each others eyes.

 

The two young lovers see the pass-

This strapping lad and charming lass-

 

The two of them no longer fearing-

Hear voices calling from the clearing.

 

The voices emanating loud-

The souls all chanting form a crowd-

 

As the two young lovers go-

To that of which they do not know.

 

Through the open pass they wander-

While each others thoughts they ponder-

 

Intoxicated by their passion-

Thus their love should know no ration.

 

Out from the clearing hand in hand-

Before the Gothic gate they stand-

 

The voices calling louder still-

The starving souls that need their fill.

 

The two young lovers see the gate-

While in the graveyard lying in wait-

 

Are spirits of those who have died-

With tears of blood shed for them dried.

 

The rain lets up, the ground is wet-

And in each others arms they're set-

 

The two young lovers make a wish-

In freezing air so devilish.

 

For them the gate does open wide-

So they do enter, by side-

 

And in this dark and lonely night-

They show their love and passion right.

 

Archaic headstones all around-

With thunder's mighty, booming sound-

 

The two young lovers making love-

The shadows staring up above.

 

They feel upon them watchful eyes-

And hear each others joyous cries-

 

Within the graveyard fornicating-

For them the ravenous souls are waiting.

 

Upon the ground they lie together-

The chill of unforgiving weather-

 

In each others arms they lie-

As freezing rain falls from the sky.

 

The two young lover's passion sings-

So that they cannot see the things-

 

The hands up reaching from the ground-

To take their lives without a sound.

 

The moon is wane, and slowly falling-

The spirits are no longer calling-

 

The two young lovers lie there still-

Where Hallowed Ground has fallen ill.