The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-05-29
A REMARKABLE POEM.


WRITTEN BY X. 4. Lavender, JR., MANIAC
THE LuxATIC ASYLUM, RALEIGH, NC.
Thc following remarkable poem, says
Louisville (Ky,l Commercial, was written b
man so insane that, st times, he had to be C
fined by q straight jacket. He fancicd thai
was dictated to him by the spirit OF Edgar Al
Poe
Fires within my brain were burning,
scorning life, despairing, yearning,
Hopeless, blinded in my anguish,
Through my bodys open door,
Came Raven, foul and sable,
Like those exile birds of fable,
Downward sweeping, where the dropping
Spectres haunt the Stygian shore.
Ghosts of agonies Departed
Fostering wounds that long had smarted,
Broken VOWS, rcturnless meanings,
Griefs and iniseries OF yore.
By some art revived, undaunted,
gazed steadfast; the enchanted,
Black, Internal Raven uttered
A wild ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Gazing steadily, gazing madly
On the bird, spoke, and sadly
Broken down, too deep for sc0rning,
Sought for mercy to implorc,
Turning TO the bird ] blessed it
In nv bosom | carrcssed it
Still il pierced my heart and rcyeled
In the palpitatns gore.
| grew mad; the browning fancics
Slack weeds they--not blooming panscs,
Made me think the bird spirit,
Bird" cried, be bird no more;
Take shape-be Man, be Devil
Be snake; rise and revel
From thy banquet rlsc-bc human
have seen thee oft before;
Thou art bird, but something more
Tapping, tapping, striking deeper,
Rousing pain, my bodys keeper,
Thou hast of erewhile sought entrance
Al the hearts great palace door,
Leave me, leave me, gloomy demon,
Fiend OF spirit, most nhuman;
Strike me through, but first unveilng,
Let me scal thee DER and DER
Thou ant a bird, but something more
Still with sable pinions tapping
The great Raven, tapping, tapping,
Struck into my breast its talons,
Vast his wings 0utspreaa ana Ger
All my nature cast pallor,
With the pognard Of repulsien
Striking through the form 1t wore
OF u bird and something more.
20! thou huge, internal Eaven,
Image that Hells King hath craven,
Image growing more gigantic,
Nursed beyond the Styglan shore.
Leave me- leave me, bcsccch thee,
would not Of wrong impeach thee
i'll ll,, 4ha,, I'll .H
With brazen earthquake roar,
Downward, downward, circling, speeding,
Cries of anguish still unhceding,
Striking through me with his talons,
Still she Raven form he bore,
Unto Erebus he driited,
His huge wings by thunder lifted,
Beats 'gainst drifts OF white famed lightning
Sparkled red with human gore,
Twas bird, but demon more
I'm no bird, an angel brother
A bright spirit and no other,
have waited, blissful tended
There for thirty years or more.
in the wild Elusive madness,
In thy bright disease and sadness,
have sounded, tapping, tapping,
At thy spirits Eden door,
Not bird, but angel more.
q" In my Palmyrenian splendoI,
In IcnoblaD regnance tender,
More than Roman, though Aurelian,
Where the kingly name bore,
] have left my angel palace,
Dropping in thy sorrows challice
Consolation, oh, twas blessed
Sweet thy pillow 10 bend DER,
Not bird, loves angel more.
Shining down with light Elysian
Through the pearly gates of vision,
On thy tranced sonrs lighted fancy,
Whence across thy chamber floor,
Fell the spirit moonlight laden,
Laden with soft dcws from Aidenn,
Shaken downward still Ncpenthe
Drunk by drinking bards o. yorc'
Ended in LIES hooking fever
Where though citron groves forever
Blow the spice winds, and the love birds
Tell their rapturcs DER and DER.
From the earth's hell by Airics haunted
From its evil disenchantcd,
! have borne thee, gaze upon me,
Didst thou see me nc'er before
Then Weakened, If to wakcu
But to dwell by grief, forsaken,
With the God who dwells with angels
In the shining age Of yore:
And stood sublime, victorious,
While below lay earth with Sloriou,
Realm of angels shining
Crown like on her temples erermurr,
Not on earth, on Eden more.
Earth" cried, A" thy clouds and shadows
From the Asphodelion meadows
OF the sky-world floating downward,
Earthly rains that from them pour,
Loves owR heaven thy mother bore thee,
And the Father God bends DER thee,
'Tis His hand that crowns thy forehead
Thou shalt live forevermore,
Not on earth, an Eden more
As . gem hath many gleaminS>,
And day hath many beamings,
And q garden many roses
Thrilled with sweetness 10 The core,
so the soul hath many ages
And the llfe's book many pages,
But the hearts great gospel opens
Where the Seraphims adore
Not on earth, an Eden more
/ will write book hereafter,
Cheerful as a baby's laughter
When it's mothers breast Ger leans u.
On the s,intcd spirit shore.
Like Apollo, the far data,
the poet and the martyr,
win chant poems Of soul music
That shall live forever more,
Not friend, but brother iBorc.
MY LILLY-OF-THE-VALLEY
EY EARL MARBLE.