I want some tombstones,
though not my own;
the fake ones which fool
little ghosts, faeries, and ghouls
who ply their trade at my front door,
calling “trick or treat” and more,
as I did so on long ago nights.
I still recall the creepy frights
from neighborhood kids who screamed
and jumped out of dark corners with eyes that gleamed,
laughing with glee at my horrified screech and shout.
That is what Halloween was all about.
Halloween used to be the time when death’s screen
was removed from our young eyes
and we could discover with fearsome surprise
that none of us would ever
live forever.
I want some tombstones in my yard
to remind little beggars from near and far
that life is short and is to be treasured
beyond any sweetness candy can measure.
annarino writes 