Hallowe’en: It’s No Joke

Hallowe’en: It’s No Joke …

Decorated Pumpkin

I’m not a great fan of Hallowe’en.  When I was young, many moons ago, we didn’t make anything of it, it wasn’t the fun and frolics, getting dressed up in ghoulish costumes, that it is today.  It was just the eve of All Hallows, All Saints’ Day.  Some customs, like apple bobbing, came from pagan ceremonies and there were stories of witches and ghosts. Then, slowly, different customs sailed over the pond.

For some it’s no joke, but my grandchildren think it’s great fun to go trick or treating, in a defined and restricted neighbourhood.  Much of the fun is the carving of pumpkins beforehand and the displaying of them with candles inside to emphasise the scary faces, for which there are competitions.

Attitude

Maybe you take part in it all with gusto.  Maybe you dread the knock at the door or put a note ‘No trick or treating please’ upon it.  Much depends on your childhood influences or perhaps your views on witches, skeletons, ghouls and ghosts; things that go ‘Bump!’ in the night.

I got to thinking of it from another point of view which you will see if you get to the end of this poem!

It’s No Joke

I don’t like Hallowe’en,

I think that it’s no joke,

All these children dressing up,

for treats or tricking folk.

What do they think they’re doing?

Who says it’s scary fun?

How do they know what ghosts would do,

when night meets setting sun?

Excitement, entertainment,

shrieks and giggles under cloaks?

That’s not part of All Saints Eve

for witches, ghouls who croak.

I’m suffering and they laugh,

they treat this night as jolly,

when my existence  is a curse

so I abhor this folly.

You see, I’m stuck between

lost life and a place to rest,

deemed to be not worthy

of trying to do my best.

I had no chance to thrive,

no one to help me see

that life could be a better place

to care, be kind, live free.

Perhaps you’ll find me at your door,

see-through yet wracked with pain.

Will you take pity on this wretch,

help me to try again?

AFC Oct 2022

~~~~

For more works like ‘Hallowe’en: It’s No Joke’ and other genre  by this author see Ann Carr on The Creative Exiles.
https://www.creativeexiles.com/author/ann/

You can also read more works by Ann Carr on Hubpages.
https://hubpages.com/@annart

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Ann Carr

I love writing; short stories, poems, fiction and non-fiction. My time in teaching dyslexics, primary, secondary and adults, life with grandchildren and a multitude of experiences, all have taught me to value family, nature and life in general.
I'm a member of HubPages (hubpages.com/@annart) which has helped me hone my writing skills.I have published an anthology of stories and poems on the subject of 'words', entitled 'Take a Word!', designed to encourage writers to stretch their boundaries when choosing words.
It's exciting to be a part of a community which has the same passion for writing.

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