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posted July 23, 2006 08:51 PM
Poe's Raven (modified) I had fun with this. Enjoy!
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my garage door.
''Tis some visitor,' I muttered, 'tapping at my garage door -
Only this, and nothing more.'
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost horsepower -
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named horsepower -
Nameless here for evermore.
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
''Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my garage door -
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my garage door; -
This it is, and nothing more,'
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
'Sir,' said I, 'or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my garage door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; -
Darkness there, and nothing more.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, 'Horsepower!'
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, 'Horsepower!'
Merely this and nothing more.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
'Surely,' said I, 'surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
'Tis the wind and nothing more!'
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there rolled a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made it; not a minute stopped or stayed it;
But, with mien of lord or lady, rolled into my garage door -
Parked near a bust of Pallas just inside my garage door -
Parked, and sat, and nothing more.
Then this ebony bike beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
'Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, 'art sure no craven.
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
Quoth the raven, 'ZX..1..4...'
Much I marvelled this unsaintly bike to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bike inside his garage door -
Bike or beast nar the sculptured bust inside his garage door,
With such name as 'ZX..1...4...'
But the raven, sitting lonely near the placid bust, spoke only,
That one name, as if his soul in that one name he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered - not a rumble then he shuddered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered 'Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow will he leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'
Then the bike said, 'Nevermore.'
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
'Doubtless,' said I, 'what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
Of "Kawasaki-ZX..1...4..."'
But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bike and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bike of yore -
What this grim, ungainly, gaunt, and ominous bike of yore
Meant in croaking 'ZX..1..4...'
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,
It shall press, ah, nevermore!
Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
'Wretch,' I cried, 'thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee
Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Horsepower!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Horsepower!'
Quoth the raven, 'ZX..1...4....'
'Prophet!' said I, 'thing of evil! - prophet still, if bike or devil! -
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!'
Quoth the raven, 'ZX..1...4....'
'Prophet!' said I, 'thing of evil! - prophet still, if bike or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore -
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Horsepower -
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Horsepower?'
Quoth the raven, 'ZX...1...4....'
'Be that word our sign of parting, bike or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting -
'Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust near my door!
Take thy wheel from out my heart, and take thy form from off my garage floor!'
Quoth the raven, 'ZX...1...4....'
And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
Near the pallid bust of Pallas just above my garage door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!
____________
82 Gpz750, 84 Ninja 900, 2000 ZX12R (Muzzy Big Bore Kit), *another* 2000 ZX12R (Muzzy custom stroke crank 1341cc motor), 2004 ZZR1200, 2005 ZX10R, 2007 ZX14, 2008 Concours 14, 2014 Versys 650, 2014 Yamaha WR450F, 2015 Ninja H2
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posted July 23, 2006 08:51 PM
