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Tuesday 26 October 2010

Trick or Treat: A Poem About Halloween by Pete Marshall


Trick or Treat!

The clouds would float across the moon
upon a breeze that blew so cold
a howl was heard from distant shores
and clocks would tick for stories told.
A scratch upon a pane of glass
that sent a tingle down your spine
a blanket pulled up close and tight
the hour struck as bells would chime.
And in the road a car would pass
to circle round the neighbourhood
you sat alone and watched the time
as Michael preyed on all that’s good.

The creak of pipes and chilling air
and flickered light from TV glare
a child’s laugh, a withered stare
impaled your mind, alone and scared.

You heard the gate that creaked at night
but never feared its eerie squeak
the footsteps trod on gravelled paths
and knocked on doors for trick or treat.
The lanterns glow shone through the glass
as shadows loomed upon the drive
you felt the hairs stand on your back
as life would flash before your eyes.
And as the door was gently pulled
a face grotesque would stare askew
his mask that came from silver screens
would hold a bucket out for you!

**********


Halloween is fast approaching which gives me the chance to celebrate! Join Dustus & I this weekend as the mischief takes over at One Stop Poetry!

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amazing !! first one shot i read this week and it was superb ! Liked the look of the blog too :)

Brian Miller said...

shivers...you put us right there...not sure i want what is in that bucket...lol. nice one shot friend...

william manson said...

creepy, but awsome as always mate :)

anthonynorth said...

Excellent and spooky. Nice one.

Steve Isaak said...

Macabre-ish light mood suffuses these verses. Entertaining and smile-inducing.

Dulçe ♥ said...

I'd love to be one of those... back to the innocence of childhood, and scream!
.)

Desert Rose said...

your diversity of topics always impress me Pete! seems the Halloween spirit is taking over now..AWESOME one shot poet..;)

Maureen said...

I enjoyed this Halloween-themed treat. (And, thankfully, no pant-less Zombies here.)

Anonymous said...

I quite liked the knickerless zombies. Good for a laugh.

Chilling, eerie, and brings back all the memories of trick or treating as a kid. Love this time of year! Spooktacular...uuuugh bad play on words! Can I have my lolly now please sir?

Beachanny said...

This felt like Halloween through a little kid's eyes. I smiled throughout trying to reach back to those memories so much overtaken by being the one out and about with masks and princess crowns gathering up the soon to be hoarded candy. Your work was that yummy! Great poem, Pete. Gay @beachanny

Carrie Van Horn said...

What spooky fun....just love this one Pete! :-)

Anonymous said...

Nice One Pete. Great one shot. Love and Light, Sender

Myrna R. said...

Beautifully scary. I love how you weave the words and bring out the feeling.

Teresa said...

Awesome Halloween poem!

moondustwriter said...

Edvard Munch's painting the perfect choice for this howling piece.

What a perfect Halloween One Shot
can we keep the lights on the site tonight?

Howls by the moon

Glynn said...

Pete, I think you definitely caught Halloween. Nice one.

Ranee Dillon said...

Picture perfect Halloween poem...chilling and fun. Great flow. Loved it!

Christine Ramsay said...

You have definitely caught the atmosphere with this poem. Spooky!!!

Christine

Shashidhar Sharma said...

Perfect Halloween poetry... I loved the imagery...

ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
Twitter: @VerseEveryDay
Blog: http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Nice flow, well constructed...

The Exception said...

This was delightful! My daughter is very into the history and the creative side of Halloween... the theatrics... This poem is so much her... I love it and will share it.
Thanks for helping to get this mom in the mood!

Unknown said...

Amazing imagery! Thanks so much for sharing. =3

Chris G. said...

Excellent piece for Halloween time! Great dedication to the holiday--really gets you in the mood. Spook-filled and entertaining, a great one shot all around!

Wysteria said...

Oh my, a great poem. An added scary moment for this week.

I really, really liked it.

Wysteria

L.L. Barkat said...

"you sat alone and watched the time"

So much feeling just in that snippet.

Kerry O'Connor said...

Perfect for Halloween!

Vinay Leo R. said...

gave me the shivers, Pete.. brilliant! perfect for Halloween time!

My One Shot Is Here

PattiKen said...

Delightful Halloween poem, Pete. I saw a lot of Poe in this, and could imagine Vincent Price reading it. Very shivery.

Linda said...

Fantastic. Love the rhyme and lyrical beat.

Anonymous said...

This is a great poem to usher in Halloween. Spooky, humorous; it's full of a clear fondness for all things macabre and eerie. Bravo! :)

Jhpoetry said...

great, just in time for Halloween. scary... I'll sleep with the light on thank you. hehe (nice one shot)

Mona said...

That was eeriely excellent :D

Claudia said...

..A scratch upon a pane of glass
that sent a tingle down your spine.. sent tingles down my spine as well...you can be scary pete marshall...quite a halloween mood you create here...happy one shot!

Gabriela Abalo said...

wow! really awesome Halloween poem!

thanks for visiting my place.

cheers :)

SuziCate said...

Love it, and especially love that you chose Edvard Munch's "the scream" to go with it. Did you ever read what he wrote in his diary as the inspiration to that painting. I couldn't remember, so I checke Wicki for it...here it is. "I was walking along a path with two friends — the sun was setting — suddenly the sky turned blood red — I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence — there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city — my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety — and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature." Pretty wild, huh?

Asobime said...

Good and scary.....LOOL!

Lady Nyo

Arts Web Show said...

Wow, i like this one .
been a while since i was last here.

Hope said...

I thought the last line to be very appropriate for your poem was so frightening I felt my stomach whirl and the bucket was held out for me just on time. thank you

Fantastic! Enjoyed it very much

thank you for stopping by my spot today

Shadiatique said...

Nice beat in this peice, loved it.

Nice one shot ;)

KB said...

I love a good scary One Shot.

Marshy said...

glad you enjoyed this creepy treat...cheers pete