{"id":5263,"date":"2010-10-31T10:07:44","date_gmt":"2010-10-31T17:07:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/?p=5263"},"modified":"2010-10-31T10:09:35","modified_gmt":"2010-10-31T17:09:35","slug":"quoth-the-auditor-nevermore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/?p=5263","title":{"rendered":"Quoth the Auditor, ‘Nevermore’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adapted from Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Raven’ – first published in 1845<\/em><\/p>\n

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
\n\"projectOver many a project artifact until my eyes were sore,
\nWhile I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
\nAs of some one gently rapping, rapping at my office door.
\n`’Tis some visitor,’ I muttered, `tapping at my office door –
\nOnly this, and nothing more.’<\/p>\n

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
\nAnd each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
\nEagerly I wished the morrow; – vainly I had sought to borrow
\nFrom my current project a surcease of sorrow for the lost “Project G4” –
\nFor the rare and radiant project whom the PMO named G4-
\nNameless here for evermore.<\/p>\n

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
\n`Sir,’ said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
\nBut the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
\nAnd so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my office door,
\nThat I scarce was sure I heard you’ – here I opened wide the door; –
\nDarkness there, and nothing more.<\/p>\n

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
\nDoubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
\nBut the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
\nAnd the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `G4!’
\nThis I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `G4!’
\nMerely this and nothing more.<\/p>\n

Back into the office turning, all my soul within me burning,
\nSoon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
\n`Surely,’ said I, `surely that is sound coming through the vents;
\nLet me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore –
\nLet my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; –
\n‘Tis the wind and nothing more!’<\/p>\n

\"projectOpen here I flung my door, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
\nIn there stepped a stately auditor of the saintly days of yore.
\nNot the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
\nBut, with mien of lord or lady, standing outside my office door –
\nStanding and pointing at me from outside my office door –
\nStood, and pointed, and nothing more.<\/p>\n

Then this auditor beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
\nBy the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
\n`Though thou are no maven, thou,’ I said, `art sure no craven.
\nGhastly grim and ancient auditor wandering from the nightly shore –
\nTell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!’
\nQuoth the auditor, `Nevermore.’<\/p>\n

Much I marvelled this ungainly auditor to hear discourse so plainly,
\nThough his answer little meaning – little relevancy bore;
\nFor we cannot help agreeing that no living project being
\nEver yet was blessed with seeing auditor outside his office door –
\nMan or woman outside the darkened hallway outside his office door,
\nWith such name as `Nevermore.’<\/p>\n

But the auditor, standing lonely in the darkened hall, spoke only,
\n\"spookyThat one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
\nNothing further then he uttered – not an eyelash then he fluttered –
\nTill I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before –
\nOn the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.’
\nThen the auditor said, `Nevermore.’<\/p>\n

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
\n`Doubtless,’ said I, `what it utters is its only stock and store,
\nHired from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster
\nFollowed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore –
\nTill the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
\nOf “Never-nevermore.”‘<\/p>\n

But the auditor still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
\nStraight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of auditor and door;
\nThen, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
\nFancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous auditor –
\nWhat this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous auditor
\nMeant in croaking `Nevermore.’<\/p>\n

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
\nTo the being whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;
\nThis and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
\nOn the cushion’s velvet lining that the monitor-light gloated o’er,
\nBut whose velvet violet lining with the monitor-light gloating o’er,
\nG4<\/em> shall press, ah, nevermore!<\/p>\n

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
\nSwung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
\n`Wretch,’ I cried, `thy PMO hath lent thee – by these directors he has sent thee
\nRespite – respite and nepenthe from thy memories of G4!
\nQuaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost G4!’
\nQuoth the auditor, `Nevermore.’<\/p>\n

`Prophet!’ said I, `thing of evil! – prophet still, if auditor or devil! –
\nWhether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
\nDesolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted –
\nOn this home by horror haunted – tell me truly, I implore –
\nIs there – is<\/em> there balm in Gilead? – tell me – tell me, I implore!’
\nQuoth the auditor, `Nevermore.’<\/p>\n

`Prophet!’ said I, `thing of evil! – prophet still, if auditor or devil!
\nBy that sky that bends above us – by that PMO we both adore –
\nTell this soul with sorrow specked if, within what the customers expect,
\nIt shall clasp a sainted project whom the PMO named G4 –
\nClasp a rare and radiant project, whom the PMO named G4?’
\nQuoth the auditor, `Nevermore.’<\/p>\n

`Be that word our sign of parting, auditor or fiend!’ I shrieked upstarting –
\n`Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!
\nLeave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
\nLeave my loneliness unbroken! – quit thy presence outside my door!
\nTake thy red pen from out my heart, and take thy form from out my door!’
\nQuoth the auditor, `Nevermore.’<\/p>\n

And the auditor, never flitting, still is gritting, unremitting
\nStanding on the floor just outside my office door;
\nAnd his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,
\nAnd the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
\nAnd my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
\nShall be lifted – nevermore!<\/p>\n

\"spooky<\/p>\n

Smoke Tinged Halloween Moon by peasap<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Hallway door by Napalm filled tires<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Spooky Tree by slimmer_jimmer<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The Hallway by Amy Loves Yah<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
\nOver many a project artifact until my eyes were sore,
\nWhile I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":116,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[870,871],"class_list":["post-5263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-miscellaneous","tag-project-management-halloween","tag-spooky-project-management"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/116"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5263"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5263\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}