Now at this twelfth hour I must confess,
For I cannot tell thee a lie.
Into my shadows one an hour they crept,
The next more willing to die.
Myself, a common man, led them deep within,
An act of vengeance meant to satisfy,
A deserted inn with a keeper to let them in,
Oh, the reasons they chose to die!

The First stumbled in upon the Noon hour,
The most exotic creature to ever meet my eye.
He spoke as though his tongue he meant to devour,
And his head: oh the flames that rose so high!
He thanked me kindly and proceeded up the stairs,
Behind him, cautiously, followed I.
As I came upon him he was thoroughly unaware,
Of the reasons he was chosen to die.

As my deed was done, the ebony clock struck one,
And at the main door came another passerby.
I locked the tomb door, absolute suspicion for none,
But my hands shook as this stranger met my eye!
I gently bid him Good-day and spoke quite aloud,
The rust of this one would not reply.
I showed him to his tomb, of which he allowed,
And I drove into such frenzy one cannot deny!

My third victim came upon the clock's second hour –
More engaging than the others for reasons unknown why.
As I led him to his room he appeared to cower,
As though he expected carnage I would attempt to try.
I backed him up upon the wooden door, straining to hear his breath,
I could only see the red of flames – so high!
Something about this one made me realize the black of death,
But as I left the crime I could not dictate just why.

And so the third hour brought the forth, through to the seven with number eight –
Each one more suspecting of that he was about to die.
I took each to a chamber and left none to wait,
All this being true , for never can I tell a lie!
Each one had the same annoyance towards my innocent soul!
I swear it! Let it be true ! For that hair, tongue and eye!
Each one lost his life and pride as he slipped into my control!
A madman I am not! They all deserved to die!

Nine! Ten! Eleven on to twelve! These strangers came unbound!
More and more expecting of their path to die!
I treated each the same, choosing fright to astound –
My guests no longer had the will to cry.
The Last came sure upon the eleventh ring from the eastern wall,
I knew he would be the last as I starred into his eye.
He was uneasy to stay the night, yet the immense snowfall,
Made it effortless to convince him to reside.

I took it upon myself to let free-will reign upon the Last,
I led him to a western room, facing the countryside.
He told me there would be no more need for my service until he asked,
Yet in the doorway still stood I.
He begged me to leave him, pleading on behalf of the cold,
From my place in the doorway moved I.
This quaint man never made a sign of which to withhold –
In his final moments he appeared willing to die.

The eastern ebony clock rose its raven hands to Mid-Night –
As I sat down to confess all I mean to clarify.
You must believe me of the reasons I went to an extreme height!
They all, in some way, begged me to die!
Whether it be those ghastly flames! Or an alien tongue!
I swear I have not written one word to be a lie!
Now I must end this terror while the night is still young!
La mia vita che porto adesso. – Good-bye!