My annual re-post for Halloween!

Warts and All!

B

eside the graveyard entry,

In the frosty Autumn air,

Is a silent, ghostly warning,

To walk quickly and beware.

Atop a spike on the rusty fence

A pumpkin sits in wait.

Its toothless grin a beacon

Upon the wrought-iron gate.

Be careful when you pass that way

Don’t be tempted there to tarry.

I caution you to be alert!

Be vigilant! Be wary!

If you succumb to the orange glow

And stop or hesitate,

Before you know what's happening

Cold fear will seal your fate.

For just behind the pumpkin

Lurks a witch with hair of red.

And the pointy-hatted spectre

Will fill your soul with dread.

You may think that I am joking,

Or it’s some kind of game,

But just one peek at her whiskered chin,

And you’ll never be the same!

While walking on that pathway

One dark and moonless night,

I came across the red-haired one

And my body froze in fright.

I felt her bony fingers

As they touched me on the shoulder,

And when I looked into her one good eye,

I could feel the air grow colder.

I shut my eyes and held my breath,

My heart refused to beat.

She kissed me lightly on the nose

Then cackled, "Trick or treat!"

When finally I dared to look

She flew off on her broom.

Then suddenly, to my surprise,

I woke up in my room!

Not knowing how I got there

Or where the witch had gone,

I spent the night imagining

Just what she may have done.

The only thing I noticed -

It was there as plain as day -

Was an ugly wart upon my nose

And it just won’t go away.

I can feel the thing is growing

And it fills me with alarm.

I keep trying to remove it

Without causing further harm.

But nothing can erase it

And I fear that it will spread

Until my face is covered.

Oh, the horror fills my head!

Each day I see it in the mirror,

A reminder stark and sober,

Of what happened in the graveyard

On that dark night in October.

Now, you may think I'm full of bunkum,

But I swear my story’s true,

Be careful on All Hallows Eve,

‘cause she's waiting there for YOU!