What Is It?

[Pendragon]

What Is It?

What is it that comes in the dead of the night,
When everything is calm and still;
And lingers close, yet out of sight,
And sends through your body a shivering chill?

What is it that comes when you’re out all alone
And find you must pass the lonely churchyard;
And you think that you glimpse it, but lo! It’s gone!
Your heart skips a beat and your breath comes hard?

What is it that comes when the moon is full,
And the shadows outside are long and lean;
And you think that you see it, but your senses are dulled,
And you want to, but find that you cannot, scream?

What is it that comes in the gathering gloom,
And with icy fingers claws at your heart;
Then each tiny sound voices coming doom.
Each tiny movement gives you a start?

What is it that moans in the gnarled trees,
With eyes like two lanterns in the darkness aglow;
Then suddenly you find you have wobbly knees
As each mournful note seems to bring you more woe?

What is it that causes you to shake and to shiver,
At each tiny rustle of unfamiliar sound;
That seems to rise in the mist from the river,
The gloom of the forest, the shadows on the ground?

What is it?
FEAR!

Dale Harris
© 11/4/1980

An old one, but hopefully a good one! :)

[PrinceMyshkin]

Nice turn of events at the end and reminiscent of FDR's "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance..."

[amanda_isabel]

I agree with PAM :D

I definitely admire the whole rhyme and rhythm thing :D I was never patient enough for that.... :D

Nicely done!

[blazeofglory]

This poem is philosophical. It penetrates beyond all layers and tries to reach a state wherein man is not just a thinking or talking animal. He is indeed much above all these limitations.

The poet delimits the mind or something subtler than that. Man is really a mystery notwithstanding all the definitions we have to define him. Never has man been perfectly defined and no analysis is enough to understand him fully and adequately.

I like this poem beyond limits. The writer in addition to being a poet is a thinker too.

[Pensive]

Really good, Pen, just like your other poems.

[Pendragon]

Heartfelt thanks to Prince M, Amanda, Blaze, and Pensy! Thank you! :wave:

[goldenrod]

Fear is becoming a more intense part of the human experiance these days and surrounds more of us as time passes. Primal fear is also on the increase.

Your poem is timely indeed!

goldenrod.

[firefangled]

Excellent, Pen, and so true. As always your verse is so well done.

[Pendragon]

Thank you, GoldenRod and Fire! ;) :wave:

[dibyendra]

What Is It?

What is it that comes in the dead of the night,
When everything is calm and still;
And lingers close, yet out of sight,
And sends through your body a shivering chill?

What is it that comes when you’re out all alone
And find you must pass the lonely churchyard;
And you think that you glimpse it, but lo! It’s gone!
Your heart skips a beat and your breath comes hard?

What is it that comes when the moon is full,
And the shadows outside are long and lean;
And you think that you see it, but your senses are dulled,
And you want to, but find that you cannot, scream?

What is it that comes in the gathering gloom,
And with icy fingers claws at your heart;
Then each tiny sound voices coming doom.
Each tiny movement gives you a start?

What is it that moans in the gnarled trees,
With eyes like two lanterns in the darkness aglow;
Then suddenly you find you have wobbly knees
As each mournful note seems to bring you more woe?

What is it that causes you to shake and to shiver,
At each tiny rustle of unfamiliar sound;
That seems to rise in the mist from the river,
The gloom of the forest, the shadows on the ground?

What is it?
FEAR!

Dale Harris
© 11/4/1980

An old one, but hopefully a good one! :)

Pen, it's really a beautiful poem and every question that you've raised, I was trying to answer and finally I found a right answer when I read the last line. Your verses are really beautiful as usual. :thumbs_up

I really liked the following lines from your poem:



And the shadows outside are long and lean;



with icy fingers claws at your heart;


With eyes like two lanterns in the darkness aglow;


That seems to rise in the mist from the river,
The gloom of the forest, the shadows on the ground?

Lovely! Keep up your great work Pen! :thumbs_up

[Pendragon]

:blush: Bless you, Dibby! http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l108/AbsalomKane/GM.gif