As mentioned previously, we lived down in the Northern Virginia area for a little less than three quarters of a year back in the 90′s. Although the whole enterprise was one of those colossal mistakes that (I assume) we all make, there were a few bright spots here and there. One of those was a trip we took down to Baltimore with the kids and a family friend who had driven down to spend the weekend with us.

I was cleaning out my home office this last weekend and stumbled upon a few old and curled pictures from this trip. I don’t remember many specifics from the day, but I know that most of it was spent around the harbor area. I’m not sure what it looks like today, but back then it was a collection of shops, restaurants, and the odd historical marker.

The one thing we didn’t do – and I can’t remember why, because I know that we talked about it over drinks the night before – was to visit the Poe House & Museum. I also remember that at some point in time during our wine-fueled celebration I went off to grab my dog-eared copy of the collected works of E.A. Poe and read through a few poems. Well, at least I think I did.

In honor of that long-ago missed trip, for today’s Poetry Monday I offer Edgar Allan Poe’s “Romance”.

Romance

Romance, who loves to nod and sing
With drowsy head and folded wing
Among the green leaves as they shake
Far down within some shadowy lake,
To me a painted paroquet
Hath been—most familiar bird—
Taught me my alphabet to say,
To lisp my very earliest word
While in the wild wood I did lie,
A child—with a most knowing eye.
Of late, eternal condor years
So shake the very Heaven on high
With tumult as they thunder by,
I have no time for idle cares
Through gazing on the unquiet sky;
And when an hour with calmer wings
Its down upon my spirit flings,
That little time with lyre and rhyme
To while away—forbidden things—
My heart would feel to be a crime
Unless it trembled with the strings.

– Edgar Allan Poe