The Dark And Dashing Shadow

The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The water was restless and murky splashing ‘round the Seto Inland Sea,
The roads were inky black, the gloom chilling to the core,
And the Dark and Dashing Shadow came creeping-
creeping- creeping
The Dark and Dashing Shadow came creeping up to the ‘partment door.

He’d a delicate waistcoat donned, a pocket watch clasped in his paw,
And he’d look at it quite often, awaiting the ice to thaw.
A satchel he clutched to his chest, empty except one thing,
A calendar: February Second circled and in scarlet written: “Spring?”

He pattered up to the landing, and pounded the door with all his might,
He rattled the doorknob, walloped the windows, chest bursting with his plight.
He mangled himself through the mail slot, and with a squeal and a laugh,
Saw there the Great Groundhogess,
Her Majesty the Groundhogess,
The Dark and Dashing Shadow’s other half.

She roused from her slumber slowly, blinked at him once or twice,
As he shook the calendar before her, a couple times, nay! …Thrice!
He danced around her in a tizzy, flung the watch before her snout,
And he addressed the Great Groundhogess,
Her Majesty the Groundhogess,
He explained what the fuss was all about:

“Spurned and snubbed for many a year, my patience has reached its tether,
This year I SHALL make an appearance, never you mind about the weather!
It matters not where the sun is sitting, or the cloud count of the day
So look for me by sunlight,
Watch for me by sunlight
I’ll come to thee by sunlight though hell should bar the way!”

His eyes were hollows of madness, his whiskers twittered in frantic fury,
The Groundhogess’s vision clouded over, wrought with wild worry.
But soon the fog parted, and the Groundhogess bristled at the offence,
One can’t control the yearly prediction, how could he be so dense?!

But all of a sudden, her nose - it tickled, a sensational aroma filled the room,
For cookies like that she’d prolong spring until come May or even June!
“That’s right, my dear! These delicious treats are yours - just say the deal is done,”
Said the Shadow, “All that I ask is some time to frolic in the sun.”

The Groundhogess’s ice-front melted, her knees they buckled in,
She had but one vice – cookies, these morsels were her sin.
“Perhaps an agreement can be reached…” the cookies had sealed spring’s fate,
“So look for me by sunlight,
Watch for me by sunlight
I’ll come to thee by sunlight with cookies on the plate!”

So the gambit proceeded, the Groundhogess threw on a robe,
And sauntered out in the morning, prepared to lie to the entire globe.
The Dark and Dashing Shadow pocketed his watch with silent glee,
“So look for me by sunlight,
Watch for me by sunlight
I’ll come to thee by sunlight for cookies, a piddling fee!”

With cookies in paw he stood behind her, attempting not to gloat,
Calendar rolled up, he brushed off his trousers, straightened his waistcoat,
And there in the cold was Her Majesty the Groundhogess with dark red cheeks
And thus she lied in the sunlight,
Directly in the sunlight
She cursed them all in the sunlight, winter for six more weeks!