Poetry Friday: Some One…

There’s a chill in the air. The leaves are turning shades of orange, red and yellow. And suddenly everything seems to be “pumpkin spice” flavoured, whatever that even means. Yes, friends, it’s that most spooktacular time of year once again, and to celebrate the wonder that is October, I’ll be sharing an eery poem every week as part of the Poetry Friday community. I’m starting this seasonal celebration of the poetically macabre with an atmospheric work by English poet, short story writer and novelist Walter de la Mare, who was well known for his supernatural horror stories (H. P. Lovecraft was apparently  quite a fan).

The piece is entitled, with appropriate mystery, Some One.

Some one came knocking

At my wee, small door;

Some one came knocking, 

I’m sure—sure—sure;

I listened, I opened, 

I looked to left and right, 

But nought there was a-stirring

In the still dark night;

Only the busy beetle

Tap-tapping on the wall, 

Only from the forest

The screech-owl’s call, 

Only the cricket whistling

While the dewdrops fall, 

So I know not who came knocking, 


At all, at all, at all.

Well, that was a suitably creepy start to this special edition of Poetry Friday! Check back next week for another chilling poem to get you in the proper spirit of the season. If you just can’t wait that long to get your eery poetry fix, you can check out two of my previous Poetry Friday posts – the first poem follows a young mariner on his quest for revenge, while the other colourfully details the the dangers of chuckling at a funeral procession. Enjoy!