The Woman Dressed in Black

I stood there in the graveyard all alone that night
To be with my beloved at her resting place
Though certainly to most this place would give a fright
I felt at ease, the calm reflected in my face

The full moon peered out from behind the misty clouds
Which covered up the east side of the starless sky
And as I stared in wonder at those mystic shrouds
I heard not far from me a soft and anguished cry

I turned to leave my love (but promised to come back)
And walked the paths I'd come to know through nightly strolls
I came across a fair young woman dressed in black
Whose cheeks were wet with tears for dear departed souls

Her dark apparel covered her from head to toe
A satin dress, pitch-black and grand, though slightly worn
Accompanied by fancy high-heeled shoes below
It was not hard to see: this girl was quite high-born

I could not see much of her face above her nose
Due largely to her hands, which wiped away her tears
Her lips were red, though much more so than any rose
And golden earrings dangled from her dainty ears

Her skin, though blemish-less, reminded me of death
So ghostly pale and eerily devoid of hue
And though the air was cold I could not see her breath
Despite her sobs, what breaths she took seemed strangely few

The grave at which she stood was unadorned and bland
No name or date was on it; something seemed amiss
But still I could not help but want to lend a hand
The cold was getting worse, so to her I said this:

"Excuse me, Ma'am, I do not mean to be so rude,
But due to this most bitter cold, I must suggest
You go inside, and though I don't mean to intrude,
I really think that you could use a good night's rest"

She took no heed; she did not even turn her head
Though still concerned, I turned to walk away, but then
A voice of haunting beauty, sweet yet somber, said
"Oh do you think I'll ever see my love again?"

I turned and was immediately struck with awe
Her eyes, made visible at last, were blackish brown
And though her face was without any flaw
Her lips were curved into an unbecoming frown

Her longing gaze met mine, intense and yet remote
I had to give her some response, I had no choice
I took a moment more to think, then cleared my throat
And gave her my reply in my most tender voice

"Like you, my girl, for seemingly lost love I've cried.
I'm sure, no matter where your lover is, my dear,
You're in his thoughts, and he longs to be by your side.
You'll see your true love once again, Ma'am, never fear."

She smiled, a thankfulness apparent in her eyes
It seemed to me that there was nothing more to say
A silent moment passed, and then to my surprise
The woman dressed in black began to fade away

I stood there for a moment, shocked by what I'd seen
And then, reminded by the moonlit sky above
I turned to make my way back to my long-dead queen
My faith restored in everlasting life and love

Note on the structure: This poem is composed in iambic hexameter, with a stanzaic rhyme scheme of abab.