The Poe Toaster

Today is Edgar’s birthday
And the third year in a row
That the famous caped “Poe Toaster”
Has decided not to show.

From 1949 for sure,
And maybe years preceding,
The Toaster visited Poe’s grave,
And not to do some weeding.

With wide-brimmed hat and scarf and cape
To keep his ID hidden,
He’d sneak right up to Edgar’s tomb,
A visit most forbidden.

He used a cane with silver tip
To navigate the ground;
And in the morning, at the site,
The following was found:

A Martell cognac bottle
With its contents halfway filled
And a trio of red roses,
Which helped make the legend build.

In 1998, a note
Explained the torch was passed;
A Toaster “son” would be the one
To hold tradition fast.

On Poe’s 200^th birthday, though,
The year 2010,
The Toaster missed his calling
And has not been seen again.

The ritual’s become, alas,
A faded bit of history;
But Edgar Allan Poe fans love
Its enigmatic mystery.