Summary: A Bonanza Gothic poem written for the 2017 “Once Upon A Midnight Dreary” challenge honoring the birthday of Edgar Allen Poe.
Rating: K+ (251 words)
STRANGER IN THE NIGHT
Once upon a moonlit night
A stranger on a stallion white
Stalked the Ponderosa’s Tahoe rim.
A specter on a ghostly steed,
To earthly thoughts he gave no heed
As he strummed and sang a woeful hymn.
The Cartwrights all were snoring
In sweet slumber, all ignoring
The apparition near so pale and slim.
They dreamed of golden tresses,
Painted faces and blue dresses,
Dancing girls, and lovely maidens pure and prim.
Through the curtains softly flopping
Came the sound of clip clop-clopping
Up to the ears of Cartwright father Ben,
Who sat up, filled with dread
And all his sons around his bed;
He closed his eyes and prayed, “Lord, not again!”
A song came slowly wafting
Through the open windows, lofting
A haunting melody in tones most grim:
Lonely as he can be
His spirit never free
Rim, rim under the red rock rim*
Joe and Hoss both scowled at Adam
As Pa glared and glowered at him
And bellowed, “Adam, that’s YOUR friend out there!
I know he saved your life but
If he wakes me one more night
I’ll strangle BOTH of you! Now, is that clear?”
Adam pinched his nose and sighed,
Bearing guilt and wounded pride
That his best intentions caused so much uproar.
As he turned to slink away,
He had but this to say –
“Yes Pa,” quoth the eldest,
“Nevermore!”
*From “Song in the Dark” written by Judith George and George W. George (Bonanza Season 4, episode 16)
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LOVE IT! I’m a Poe fan to begin with so that made it great but then as I read and realized the poem was taking inspiration from a wonderfully creepy episode my smile got bigger and bigger.
It was an eerie episode, wasn’t it? It seemed like a natural fit for Poe. Thanks so much for reading and commenting. 🙂
Eerie and chuckle worthy at the same time, well done!
Thanks, Jojay. I had fun with this one. 🙂
Nice! Very clever … 🙂
Thanks for reading, PSW. 🙂
JC, Poe is doing backflips of purest jealousy in his grave at this moment and it is all your fault. Terrific poem, and the last line REALLY makes it rock!
Sandspur, even when I was writing this I thought of all of the people who might read it, you would be the one to appreciate it the most. I’m glad you approve. Thank you, my friend! 🙂
Very good! Very Poe like indeed!
Glad you enjoyed it, Home Alone. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
That was very funny and very clever! Adam was raven-haired after all. Thanks for the giggle.
And you’re the only one that caught that, Q! Thanks for reading. 🙂
Red Rock Rim …. reminded me of redrum, redrum. Spookily funny!
Well, obviously that line was just handed to me but when I was writing it down I thought the same thing, Cheaux. And there was redrum in that episode! Thanks for reading. 🙂
Very, very nicely done. Tongue in cheek, perhaps, but a wee bit chilling as well! Love the “blue dresses” mention.
Not perhaps — definitely tongue in cheek, especially concerning blue dresses. 🙂 Thanks for the review, Joanie!
woohoo! Welcome back, welcome back! Great response to the challenge.
Who could have thought to read a giggle or two from Poe.
Thank you, thank you! I bet you’re glad I finally learned to post a story on my own. 🙂
Nicely written, JC. A worthy comical response to Poe.
Thanks for reading, Inca. Poe was always one of my favorite authors when I was a teen, so I felt I owed him one. 🙂
A clever entry, JC. Made me chuckle!
Thanks, Pat — happy to oblige! 🙂