Vampires

Lo! here's another corpse exhumed! Another Poet disinterred! Sensation cried, "Dig up the grave, And let the dust be hoed and stirred, And bring the bones of Shakespeare out! 'Twill edify the throng, no doubt!

"The Byron scandal has grown old! That rare tit-bit is flat, and stale. The throng is gaping for more food; We need a new sensation tale; Old Shakespeare sleeps too well, and sound; Tear off the shroud--dig up the ground!

"We have exhumed poor 'Raven Poe' And proved beyond the shade of doubt, He saw no raven, after all. Now trot the bones of Shakespeare out! Byron, and Poe, and Shakespeare--good! Who shall we serve up next for food?"

And who, say I, oh seers of earth! What corpse comes next? I daily look To see if some sage hasn't proved That Jones, or Smith, wrote Lalla Rookh. Or Blifkins lent his brains to Moore, Who was a plagiarist, and boor!

Sensation, keep your servants out-- Let them be watchful, and alert; We'll need a new discovery soon. Tell them to dig about the dirt, And tear off Keats', or Shelly's shroud, To please and edify the crowd.

DYING.

Let me lie upon your breast, Lift me up, and let me twine 'Round your neck my arms, and rest With your cheek laid close to mine. Kiss me, kiss me tenderly; I am dying now, you know; Though you feel no love for me, Clasp me, kiss me, ere I go.

I have lingered many years, For a moment, love, like this; Oh! my darling! let no tears Mar this drop of earthly bliss; Do not weep because you know I am dropping off to rest; I am very glad to go, Life was wearisome at best.

I have loved you, oh, so long, Seeing, knowing, in my brain, That my love was wild and wrong, Unrequited, hopeless, vain; Was it weak, unwomanly, Thus to shrine you in my heart? Oh! I struggled frantically-- Bade your image to depart.

There are hearts that love will pierce, Then depart, and die at will; Such as mine burns long and fierce, Till the heart is cold and still, Dropping, sinking off to rest, Fearing naught of pain or strife: Kiss me-clasp me to your breast, This is all I ask of life.