Poe Tradition Continues

Yesterday, for the 58th year in a row, a secret visitor has visited Edgar Allan Poe's gravesite on the author's birthday to leave roses and cognac. Poe was born on January 19, 1809. He would have been 198-years-old yesterday.

About 10 years ago, I had the pleasure of going to Philadelphia on business where, due to time constraints, I could only visit either the steps where Rocky ran up the Philadelphia Museum of Art, or the Spring Garden Home where Poe lived from 1838-1844. Of course, I chose the Poe home! As luck would have it, I was the only person there at the time, and a curator kindly offered to give me a one-on-one tour of the home! He patiently described all the rooms in the house and background on Poe and his time in Philadelphia. Then we stopped in a small room that had a small bed and a single chair in the middle of the wood-floor room. He then told me to look around the sparse room and the bed and chair, and then he said close your eyes while I tell you about a story Poe wrote while living in this house, and perhaps wrote in this very room; he then proceeded to tell me a summary of Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." It was an awesome experience. It sent chills throughout my body then, and now as I remember and type this!