The time, it flickered day-to-night
Street-lights aglowing passed me by
But I was standing, petrified.
A deathly thing had caught my eye
And when I turned to look I saw
The claws, the cloak: no mortal man
I wish I had been braver then,
But when I spied the wraith, I ran.
Where can one flee that spirits can't?
No man I asked could help. I found
Not street nor building slowed its pace!
It chased me still to peaceful ground:
A cemetery, hot and tame
I wiped the sweat from tombstones grim
I found a rock that shared my name,
But, wraith behind, I left with vim
A tower, central to the morgue.
Their order must have dealt with ghosts!
Inside, I met a shambling man,
And when I begged for help, he croaked:
"'Twas in the bogs of Cannelbrae
My mate did meet an early grave
'Twas nothing left for us to save
In the peat-filled bogs of Cannelbrae."
"I've heard that one," I told the man.
"I can't imagine what it means,
or why you'd say it to me now."
The tower shook. The man just screamed:
"'Twas in the bogs of Cannelbrae!
There's very little else to say!
You looked around! You saw her grave!
'Twas nothing left for us to save!"
And after that, he wouldn't move.
I took his cue. I turned to go.
The night had yet more plans for me.
Somehow, it had begun to snow.
On sleeted streets I met the wraith.
Its face was covered by the dark.
It hovered close. I held my ground.
Its eyes were iron, molten sparks.
'Twas in the bogs of Cannelbrae
My fate did meet an early waive
'Twas nothing left of him to save
In the peat-filled bogs of Cannelbrae.