| ~*xX_RavenPoet_Xx*~ |
| "I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity" — Edgar Allan Poe |
|
✦ About Me ✦
Welcome to my sanctuary, dear wanderer. I am Raven, and this is my corner of the digital darkness. I've been here since 2001, crafting this space into a reflection of my soul—a place where shadows dance with candlelight and words blur the line between sanity and madness. 
Name: Raven
Age: 17
Location: Portland, Oregon
Mood: Melancholic, Introspective
Current Obsession: The Cure's "Disintegration" album
Favorite Time: 3 AM on rainy nights
I've always felt at home in darkness. While other girls my age are at school dances and pep rallies, I'm home with a candle burning, reading Edgar Allan Poe or writing poetry until my hand cramps. There's something about the way candlelight flickers against my walls—it's hypnotic, spiritual, like watching one's own thoughts materialize in amber glow. The Cure changed my life when I was 14. I discovered them through my older cousin, and suddenly everything I felt but couldn't express had a voice. Robert Smith's lyrics are GENIUS. He understands the exquisite pain of being alive, of loving something or someone so deeply it destroys you. "Lovesong," "Boys Don't Cry," "Pictures of You"—these aren't just songs, they're my diary set to synthesizers. When it rains, I listen to "The Walk" over and over, imagining walking through endless gray streets in a black coat. Poetry is my sanctuary within my sanctuary. I've been reading Poe obsessively for the past year. "The Raven," "Annabel Lee," "The Bells"—the way he captures decay, loss, and obsession is unmatched. His life was a tragedy, and maybe that's why I relate so strongly. He understood that beauty and darkness are not opposites—they're the same thing seen from different angles. I'm working on my own collection of dark poetry (which will be uploaded here soon—this section is under construction!!). Rainy days are the ONLY days worth living through. I wake up, hear that gentle patter against my window, and feel like the universe finally understands me. The sky weeps, and I weep with it. There's no pressure to smile or pretend everything is okay when it's raining. Everything is permitted. I'll light my candles, make tea, and sit by my window for hours, watching the world blur into watercolor. Rain is honesty. 
✦ My Poetry ✦
These are selections from my private journal. I don't share them easily, but you've made it this far into my world...
"Candlelight Confessions"
The wax melts like forgotten dreams, Golden tears upon my windowsill. Outside, the rain continues its lament, While I sit here, suspended between The life I'm living and the life I'm dying for. Your voice crackles through the speakers— Robert Smith singing my secrets In that beautiful, broken way. The candlelight catches my tears, And for a moment, I am beautiful too.
"Rainy Day Elegy"
Grey upon grey, the world dissolves. I am the rain and the rain is me. Poe understood this darkness— The way it loves us back, The way madness is just sanity That finally found the courage to speak. Let it pour. Let it drown everything beautiful. At least then we'd know we're alive.
"Untitled (3 AM)"
This is the hour when ghosts are real, When the line between sleeping and waking blurs Like wet ink on paper. I think of Poe, alone in his Baltimore room, Chasing the dream of Lenore. I think of Robert Smith, eyeliner running, Singing about the death of love. I think of myself, just seventeen, And I wonder if this darkness will consume me Or if I will learn to dance with it instead.
✦ THE CURE SHRINE ✦
Robert Smith is a GENIUS and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. The Cure isn't just a band—they're a way of life, a philosophy, an understanding that love and pain are the same thing. Here is my definitive ranking of their masterpieces:
#1: DISINTEGRATION (1989)
PERFECTION. Every. Single. Song. From the haunting strings in "Pictures of You" to the aching beauty of "Lovesong" to the desperate energy of "Last Dance." This album saved my life. I've listened to it over 500 times and I'm not exaggerating. It's 75 minutes of pure emotional devastation wrapped in synthesizers and reverb. If you haven't heard this album, you haven't truly lived.
#2: SEVENTEEN SECONDS (1980)
The darkness. The minimalism. "A Forest" is hypnotic. "Boys Don't Cry" is devastating in how honest it is about vulnerability. This album is lo-fi genius—it sounds like it was recorded in a haunted mansion, and I mean that as the highest compliment.
#3: FAITH (1981)
A masterpiece of despair. Every song builds on the last, creating this overwhelming sense of inevitability. "Primary" is my favorite track—it's like watching someone fall in slow motion.
#4: PORNOGRAPHY (1982)
THIS ALBUM. It's like staring into the void and the void stares back. "Hanging Garden" should be played in museums as a definition of gothic rock perfection.
#5: THE HEAD ON THE DOOR (1985)
More accessible, but no less brilliant. "Just Like Heaven" and "The Walk" are anthems of my existence.
Favorite Lyrics:
"I think it's strange that you never want to play with me / Just one more game with me / Just one more game..." — "A Forest"
"Tell me where it hurts / You know I'll help you find it" — "Lovesong" "I'll follow you down till the sound of my feet on the ground lets me know I can still feel something" — "Down in the Park" (cover)
✦ Recent Updates ✦
November 23, 2003:
OMG finally updated this site after like 3 months!! Been so busy with school and my poetry collection. Added the Cure Shrine section and some new poems. Next up: uploading my favorite Edgar Allan Poe analysis and maybe some short fiction I've been writing. The guestbook is calling for more entries lol... anyone out there?
August 15, 2003:
Went through my old journal entries and realized how much I've changed in the past year. Added a new section to About Me about how The Cure saved my life. Also updated my music rankings. Currently obsessed with "The Hanging Garden" and playing it on repeat while I do homework. Mom thinks I'm depressed lol but I'm just FEELING.
May 30, 2003:
Just discovered Edgar Allan Poe last month and it's like... he was writing about MY LIFE 200 years ago?? Added a new section about his influence on my poetry. Also fixed the HTML on this page (it was driving me crazy with the alignment issues). Still working on the Poetry section—need to type up more from my journal.
March 12, 2003:
Redesigned the entire site AGAIN. Used a new color scheme (darker, more sophisticated). Added more Cure lyrics throughout the page. Why do I keep redesigning?? Because perfection is never final. This is my third layout in 2 months... but this one FEELS right. The black and red aesthetic is everything.
✦ Cool Links ✦
♫ Music & Bands ♫
📚 Literature & Poetry 📚
✦ Friend Pages ✦
🖤 Other Cool Sites 🖤
✦ SIGN MY GUESTBOOK ✦
I cherish every entry. Please tell me who you are and what you think. Click here to sign! ~xX_CureForever_Xx*~
November 22, 2003
RAVEN!!! Your Cure Shrine is PERFECTION. Disintegration is literally the best album ever made and I'm so glad you agree. Your poetry is beautiful too—it sounds like Robert Smith wrote it. Can't wait for you to post more!! Added your link to my site. Keep the darkness alive, sister! ♫
MidnightPoet88
November 18, 2003
Your analysis of Poe's influence on modern gothic culture is incredible. I especially loved the "Untitled (3 AM)" poem—it captures that liminal space between sanity and madness so perfectly. Poe would be proud. I've linked to your site from my poetry archive. Hope we can exchange more dark literature recommendations soon.
~*Raven_Shadow2003*~
November 15, 2003
bestfriend!! your page is SO good. everyone at school needs to see this but they wouldn't understand anyway lol. the candle description made me tear up because YES that's exactly what it feels like. can't wait to hang out and listen to the cure all night on friday. you're not insane, you're just alive. 🖤
VampireChronicles_Sarah
November 10, 2003
Found your page through a webring and I'm obsessed. The rainy day section especially resonated with me. I also love candlelight and dark poetry. Your poetry is genuinely good—not emo angst, but real substance. Keep writing and sharing. There are more of us out there than you think. 🖤
xX_DarkReader_Xx
November 5, 2003
Stumbled upon your page and felt like I was reading my own thoughts. The way you describe what darkness means to you is exactly how I feel but could never articulate. Your site is a breath of fresh air in this bright, shallow internet. Thank you for sharing your soul with the world. This page is true art.
This site is a work in progress, like my soul, like my poetry, like all beautiful things. ✦ "Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love." — Albus Dumbledore (okay this is random but I just finished HP4) ✦ |