The night was dark, and devilish, too,
when out of the night,
a scarecrow flew,
he landed at the corner of Scared and Brave,
shouted "Welcome All to the Halloween parade!
Linda Baie ©
I always look forward to hosting near Halloween. This year seems like a wonderful night will happen. Last year I was sad that it really didn't happen. I took some goodies to neighbor kids whom I know and they peeked through their door to wave, costumes on.
This year, the young boy next door showed me he had created a frightening cape with bloody streaks he had painted on himself! Big grin! It will be a fun night to see what everyone wears.
My poem mixes Halloween with my own undertone of politics and women's rights. I am inspired by those women who amuse us with their smiles and nods and then go ahead and do the right thing for all of us and do it with great skill.
On My Front Porch
Jill O’Lantern stared as she contrived
a contest with a skeleton just arrived,
envisioning the apathy of the fright
he would give to youngsters Halloween night.
She knew she’d given her life for this,
one ghostly night full of hair-raising bliss,
but also knew she had to think it through
as Bag O’ Bones rattled for his cue.
When given a breeze, his screaming yaw
and clacking bones would break the law
and scare the pants off every child,
making Jill’s grin seem too, too mild.
Bag O’Bones stooped to smile and greet,
whispering nothings that were not sweet,
knew he held an ace, a wily key
to win the shocking HATE trophy.
He’d carry it on to another place
leave without friends, without a trace.
Jill felt pleased to light her smile
till she was heaved to the compost pile,
joining friends with happy faces
partying on from the garden places.
Old Bag O’ Bones’ could do his feat
But Jill remained a grinning treat.
Linda Baie ©
Happy Halloween!
35 comments:
Thanks for sharing your poem Linda! I really enjoyed it. Jill reminded me of some people I know. Happy Halloween and I hope you get tons of awesome costumes stopping by!
Ahhh, Marvelously ghoulish—I love the political undertones running through, and Jill's smiles in there too! Fun "Scared and Brave" scarecrow poem and images also. Wishing you a spooky and safe Halloween Linda, and thanks for hosting!
A wonderful poem...love a Jill-o-lantern! She knows what's what. Thank you for hosting this fun weekend. I do love seeing the costumes and I did miss them last year.
Linda, your poem is so clever! I especially like your last line, yay for Jill! Thank you for hosting. Happy Halloween!
Fun poem, Linda! (Poor Jill, being heaved onto the compost, ha!) Thanks for hosting!
Happy Halloween and thanks for hosting. I love this: "Jill felt pleased to light her smile/
till she was heaved to the compost pile." Thanks again, Linda, for the lovely books you sent from your bookstore.
I just realized that I have barely thought about Halloween this year. Need to check with our neighbors to see if we get any trick-or-treaters. Thanks for your poem, which reminded me I have a picture ms featuring a bag o' bones and another one of all monsters that I should get out and look at...And hooray for your Jill O'Lantern!
Linda, your six stanza poem with its consistent rhyming pattern possesses an underlying message that speaks of current challenges against a more traditional backdrop. Its message subtle, yet capable of cutting through. Grinning in the face of obstruction isn't always an easy thing to achieve. Good for Jill and her sisters. Thank you for hosting
Love Jill O'Lantern -- what a clever and unique twist, and so timely :). Enjoyed your opening rhyme too and the wonderful pics. Thanks so much for hosting. Hope your Halloween is spooky and delicious!
Linda ~ I was just teaching metaphor...Old Bag'O Bones is a terrific example. Ilove that you wove a clever woman into this Halloween poem.
And I presume you wrote the Halloween poem at the start, right? Man, oh, man that's a wonderful poem!
PS: My link isn't live until Friday morning
https://www.teachingauthors.com/2021/10/1-way-i-play-poem-making.html
Linda, thanks for hosting. And for Jill, who nevertheless persisted. :)
Oh my. This poem and post has just reminded me that it's coming up two years since I visited USA. No chance of return visits at the moment - but we're getting closer to opening up for international travellers who can afford the airfare!
Clever poetic crafting for your Halloween special, Linda. Methinks you have the opening of a picture book in that poem you've started the post with.
Linda, what a Halloween treat you have provided here. There are so many clever lines and ideas in Jill's poem--her name, the compost pile, and "partying on from the garden places." I love the introductory poem call to the Halloween Parade! Enjoy the day, and I hope the children have a lot of safe fun!
Linda, I knew when I saw your FaceBook post that your blog would be filled with delight. I love your Halloween Parade idea. It is just in time for the costume party in our community so I am ready for a costume parade, Poetry Friday style. Your short poem is a perfect pairing for the invitation. Jill O'Lantern makes quite a good character in your multi-stanza poem. I want to reread it again tomorrow morning when I am fresh. It is a fun-filled weekend so once again I will slowly make my rounds. Thank you for hosting.
"The corner of scared and brave" is the best! I adore that first poem and want to get to know Jill. The fact that you invented Jill and made her such a good soul is the first thing getting me in the Halloween spirit this season. Thank you. I was on the fence about carving this year...but I will do it. And I will carve Jill. We can do what we can in this short life. Happy Halloween, and thank you for hosting! xoxo
You go, Jill! Joy and happiness for the win! (I also LOVE your invitation poem!) Thanks for hosting and for helping us challenge the positive.
Linda! Thank you for hosting and giving us TWO poems to enjoy. That old Bag 'o Bones scared me, I have to say, and I wish Jill had put on her WandaVision super cape and vanquished him a little harder before nourishingly decomposing!
Jill! Thank you for her story and for the warm welcome poem, too. It's a beautiful time of year, isn't it? I live in a rural area, so there's not door-to-door, but there is Trunk or Treat...which is definitely happening this year! I'm excited. xo
I love how humanizing this Jill O'Lantern poem is, Linda! Thanks for sharing -- and for hosting!
I love "the corner of Scared and Brave" and Jill's everlasting smile! Thank you for being a gracious Halloween host!
Jill vs. Bag o'Bones! How clever and fun, from first stanza to last. Thank you so much for hosting this parade of poetry today!
Thanks for hosting today! I am now renaming all of my pumpkins Jill - long may she reign!
Hi Linda,
Love the idea of a Jill O’Lantern--very clever.
And the "corner of Scared and Brave" in your first poem. Have a Happy Halloween!
Hi, Linda! Thanks for hosting today. I enjoyed the creativity in your Halloween poems. Politics can be difficult to write about and you've done it well here with a little help from the upcoming holiday! Thanks! Carol from The Apples in My Orchard.
Bravo, Linda! The welcome poem is perfect, and the seed of a PB, as someone has said. Loved the undertones in the Jill poem, as there are many skeletons in our collective closet, but Jill just keeps shining her light and lives on in future gardens through the compost pile! Persistence, perseverance and pluck!
I thought I'd join the party. I am bringing an autumn celebrity sure to have fun at this party with Jill O'Lantern and Bag O'Bones. Your poem was such fun to read. Your word selection popped! Thanks for hosting.
I love "the corner of Scared and Brave"! Perfection! Your second poem is full of clever rhymes and word choice. Thanks for hosting and for starting the Halloween festivities off right. Enjoy the weekend!
It's Friday night, two days until that evening of cute kids and silly teens, yes, I often have at least young teens come for some candy. Thank you everyone for this very fun Poetry Friday, and for enjoying my Halloween poems. Wishing you a good Sunday evening, no matter how you spend it! I have loved everyone's posts, too, have a few more to read and I will!
Linda, what a cheerful place here to celebrate Halloween! The poems are fun, and I got a kick out of "the corner of scared and brave." That is some truth right there! Thank you for hosting.
Thanks, Susan, for coming by & for sharing your post, too!
I love your Halloween poem, especially the underlying politicalness of it. I'm looking forward to seeing lots of kids in costumes this year, too. I hope you have a Happy Halloween!🎃
Thank you for hosting this week! I like how you used Halloween to explore other, more serious themes.
Thanks for hosting us. Both your poems were brilliant.
Thank you Alex, Elisabeth, & Jone. I am sitting here waiting for the doorbell & more trick 'r treaters, had fun at the bookstore today, too. It was a Happy Halloween but cold moved in & it's rather shivery. I guess that's about right, isn't it! Happy November!
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