Dear George,
Next to Christmas, I think Halloween is the best holiday of the year. All those treats, kids being out on the streets at night, the funny costumes, the possibility doing of tricks. This past week I’ve been trying to capture the spirit of Halloween in poems. Here are some of my efforts.
Love,
Dave
All Hallows Eve: A Villanelle
The wind turns brisk and whistles through the night
Tricksters in masks scurry here and there
All Hallows Eve, a time for thrills and fright
A pirate and a ghoul wait at the light
A witch casts her spell, wide-eyed children stare
The wind turns brisk and whistles through the night
Vampires hug shadows, poised to bite
While a girl screams to friends, “Bloodsuckers! Beware!”
All Hallows Eve, a time for thrills and fright
The smallest ghost clutches his lantern bright
Fierce howls of werewolves fill the chilly air
The wind turns brisk and whistles through the night
A band of zombies lurches into sight
Incarnations from some deep nightmare
All Hallows Eve, a time for thrills and fright
Kids bring bags of treats to their porches bright
Mothers and fathers are waiting there
The wind turns brisk and whistles through the night
All Hallows Eve, a time for thrills and fright
* * *
The Legend of Jack O’ Lantern
Jack O’Malley, the village rowdy
Staggered home from the pub one night
A dark figure sat on top of the oak
Satan’s presence filled Jack with stark fright
Jack quickly pulled out his woodsman’s knife
Carved a cross on the trunk of the tree
Satan couldn’t climb past that holy cross
Till he promised Jack’s soul would stay free
Jack lived out his life as a scoundrel and thief
When he died, St. Peter locked the gate
Jack sought out the Prince of Darkness
“Tough luck,” Satan said, “that’s your fate”
As Jack walked away Satan threw a burning coal
And Jack stuck it in a hollowed out gourd
He used it as a lantern to light his way
As he wandered the countryside, spurned and ignored
The history of Halloween is ancient and hoary
But one fact is clear — Jack O’ Lantern’s story
* * *
John Carpenter’s Halloween: A Poetic Synopsis
Michael Myers was born a monster
At six he killed his sister with a knife
Locked up fifteen years in the asylum
He escaped to resume his warped life
Michael snuck back home to his Illinois town
There he killed a mechanic just for his clothes
He began to stalk Laurie, a high school beauty
Her friends joked this weird guy would soon propose
Dr. Loomis, the psychiatrist, raced to Michael’s hometown
Informing the sheriff of Michael Myers’ escape
“A monster so evil,” Dr. Loomis said
“No question he’ll murder, despoil, and rape”
That night, Halloween, Laurie babysat
Her best friend Annie was right across the street
Michael Myers had followed both of these girls
He sliced Annie’s throat as if it were meat
Laurie’s friends Bob and Lynda arrived at Annie’s
Straight up to the bedroom to fool around
Bob came down for a beer, Michael slit his throat
Strangled Lynda to death, not the tiniest sound
Laurie came to make sure that her friends were all right
Found the corpses of Annie, then Lynda and Bob
Michael jumped out in his white hockey mask
Grabbed Laurie by the throat, set to finish the job
At that very moment Dr. Loomis burst in
Shot Michael six times with his Magnum handgun
Michael tumbled off the balcony to the ground below
But looking for a body the survivors found none
POSTCRIPT
I went to this movie, walked home to my house
Michael Myers was hidden behind every tree
Supposedly an adult, I feared for my life
Four decades later I still want to flee
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