On Halloween Night
On Halloween night, when the ghosts come out,
They all get together and they start to shout,
“Boo, Boo! We love to scare you.
That’s what ghosts are supposed to do.”
Bubble gum, candy corn, and popcorn balls.
You know that ghosts love to eat them all.
“Boo, Boo! We never would attack,
But we hope we can scare you into dropping your sack.”
If you go out on Halloween night,
You’d better be sure to bring a big flashlight.
“We don’t like light, but we sure love noise.
Yelling, “Boo! is our favorite joy.”
“Boo, Boo! We love to scare you.
That’s what ghosts are supposed to do.”
“That’s what ghosts are supposed to do!”
Who lives in this haunted house?
Who lives in this haunted house?
“I do!” I do!” says the mouse
“See my aunts and all my cousins
scamper through it by the dozens.”
Who else might be living here?
“Spiders, spiders, yes my dear!
Our webs grow bigger by the day
No broom or mop sweeps them away.”
Who likes this haunted house the most?
“I do!” I do!” says the ghost.
“I can float from room to room,
having fun while spreading gloom.
This haunted house has stairs that creak.
Windows rattle. Hinges squeak.
It’s such a lovely place to be
for someone who’s a ghost like me!”
Monster stew
If you are getting tired
Of plain old witches’ brew,
Next time you have a party
Try gourmet monster stew.
Put on an old black apron
Borrowed from a witch;
Then scoop in murky water
From a brackish ditch.
Pond slime is the next thing,
A bucketful or two;
But if you don’t have pond slime,
Some moldy soup will do.
Now measure in an owl-hoot,
Two grumbles and a groan.
To make it really tasty,
Add an eerie moan.
Now if your guest are monsters,
You cackle while they eat.
They’ll say your stew is gruesome,
A most delightful treat!
Where Danger looms
When the darkness falls and danger looms,
werewolves howl at shiny moons
Dogs run scared and bats take flight,
flying off to the still of night
You’re walking down deserted streets,
not knowing yet the things you’ll meet
Whispers echo from every door,
begging you to come no more
Footsteps heard on the steps of stairs,
taunting you with stench filled air
You start to run, you try to escape,
your heart and breaths just can’t keep pace
You run through the streets, screaming in fright,
but no one hears you this Halloween night
Then suddenly, through the mist filled air,
a shape appears with long grey hair
A woman with a crystal ball,
where lightening flashes through it all
Beckoning with her toothless grin,
“Come closer now” and look within
A tiny movement, a careless act,
will take you where you can’t come back
But the beauty of the ball wins out,
you move closer now with stinging doubts
Forgetting the danger you look inside,
revealing the secrets it strains to hide
The paperboys scream “Man found dead”
working all day, their feet like lead
The woman listens with a knowing grin,
the secret she holds close within
Waiting for the next full moon,
she walks the streets where danger looms
Humming a song no one can hear,
she clutches a ball she holds so dear.
RL Irving