The Glowing Lantern - Canto I

In the dark of night, in the timberland, The moon became obscured and overcast. A burst of rain covered the ground so vast, And through the late-night air the moisture fanned. A fog began to form after the rain Had trickled off, and soon it subsided. Through the humid night, the strong wind guided The lost traveler back home once again. Upon his porch, the weary man now sat Alone with his thoughts in a wooden chair. The rain kept dripping from his unkempt hair, After he had taken off his wet hat. As the fog from the storm began to pass, The traveler saw a faint light glowing. He rose from his wooden chair, not knowing Who it was that was standing on the grass. As the glowing light shined upon the stairs, Faint footsteps could be heard from close behind. The glowing lantern lifted and defined The features beneath the stranger’s gray hairs. The stranger's old face shimmered in the light, As he walked closer to the weary man. The stranger wore an old jacket of tan, And as he approached, the lantern grew bright. The traveler's eyes began to grow wide, As the stranger walked to the other seat At the table. He looked down at his feet, As the bright lantern dangled near his side. © 2021