prelude in orange and black

so Hallowe’en
and if you have it
I hope
this is
a pleasant Hallowe’en for you

eve of All Saints the name

even thrilling for the children

thinking of
the rush of running through the cold night
looking through
and
breathing through a mask
bearing a burden
of which I could hardly
be
aware

and that was Hallowe’en for me
as a child
with
The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
intersticed with commercials
for Dolly Madison
doughnuts

and there were other things
I guess

cider
decorations here and there
bats and cats
and such

stories in school
or on TV

oh
pumpkin-carving and then
the lights inside
that signaled to whatever spirits
we were here

but
it was the running through the night
cold
the mask
sensations that I had no other night
or day

c l couch


photo by Zach Lisko on Unsplash