The Silent Specter

THE SILENT SPECTER By Roy Merritt He knew not when it arrived and trespassed upon his door And though it never spoke to him he knew what it came for He knew why that callous countenance came upon this place He knew, he knew for certain he could see it in his face He knew this sallow specter whose odor smelled of the grave He knew it came for him and felt compelled to rave He demanded it go and leave him here, leave him here at peace "Go where you must north or south or yonder to the east!" But it never spoke a word to him just lingered there close by And the silence was the thing that he most of all despised "Speak to me!" he demanded "Speak to me somber specter! Why do you remain here and me in silence hector? Why do you remain, why do me you taunt Why have you come to me and in this time to haunt?" It wasn’t that it couldn’t hear a word he had to say And he knew that for certain in the end it would have its way "Are you my guide he asked, the ferryman for the doomed? Is that your duty specter the guide man to the tomb?" And at last it smiled at him a perverse and toothy grin And spoke to him at last, spoke to him as a friend "What need are your questions it’s plain to me to see You know I came for you to carry along with me I’ve come to be the witness and upon your final breath To take you down below to carry you down to death You shouldn’t be distressed nor fix on it as you do It comes to one and all when their time here be through Don’t be as the drunken poet don’t fill yourself with strife Come with me in peace into that long goodnight Come with me in peace there is no Heaven or Hell No god above the clouds or regions below to dwell Death it be a comfort death is my gift to you Be grateful that’s its over be grateful that its through You should embrace it, embrace it for what its worth Be glad that its at last over this exit here from Earth." And so he took his hand and left this place at last And all there was but darkness, and everything was past And death at last embraced him, embraced him as a wife And led him from this place this wretched thing this life