Once upon a midnight dreary,
while I pondered, weak and weary,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my office door.
" 'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my office door;
Only this, and nothing more."
Ah, distinctly I remember, it was
in life's bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
And the sad uncertain rustling of each purple pleated curtain
Filled me with fantastic terrors that I'd never felt before;
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
Here I opened wide the door; but Darkness there, and nothing more.
Deep into the darkness peering,
long I stood there, wondering, fearing
Doubting, fearing dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Yet soon again I heard a tapping, something louder than before
Open then I flung the shutter,
when, with many a flit and flutter,
In there stepped an AI Chatbot, onto my unwelcome floor.
Not the least of greetings made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But with air of lord or lady, perched above my office door.
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
Then this ebony bot beguiling my
sad feelings into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
Straight I wheeled a hefty cushion at the bot upon the door;
"Wretch," I cried, "thy poverty hath lent thee by cheap corporation sent thee
to replace me for mere pennies, that I might work no more ? "
Prophet-motive on the level, ever courteous and civil
"By that heaven that bends above us, by that work we both adore
Tell this soul with sorrow laden, if, within the distant heaven,
It shall always clasp a pinkslip, and forever work no more ?
Ne'er to clasp a needed paycheck, and deposit checks no more? "
Quoth the AI , "Nevermore"
"Then let those words begin our
parting, foe or friend!" I shrieked, upstarting
"Get thee back into the third world and the Night's unloving core!
Leave my gainfulness unbroken!--quit the perk above my door!
Take the dole from out my heart, returneth home I ye implore !"
Quoth the AI, "Nevermore."
And the AI, never flitting,
forever on my door is sitting
On the vantage point of savings just above my office door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is scheming.
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul under that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be working --Nevermore!