A Visit of Halloween

‘Twas the night of the spooky season, when all through the town
Midnight was stirring and monsters were around
Spiderwebs were hung on on porches to scare
Young trick or treaters who would soon be there
The children were out on this night of dead
While visions of ghouls danced in their heads
And mamma in her jacket, and I in the car
Watched the children giggle to the next house from afar
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
I laughed pretty hard when I saw what was the matter
A spider sprang from the shadows and web
Scared my child over. He fell on his rear end.
The moon as my witness, we make sure he was alright
With a smile, he sprinted to the next house in sight
I followed, in wonder. The house breathed an eerie blue
And before my eyes the ocean’s depths came anew
With a big old pirate, with pistol out quick
I knew in a moment this house would be sick
More rapid than sharks, tentacles sprang from the yard
The pirate whistled and shouted, “Avast me! En garde!”
My child was a mixture of terror and excitement
The candy was past the pirate. His way of enticement.
To my child the pirate snickered and asked in delight.
“Do ye have what it takes on this hallowed night?”
“I see ye eyein’ me treasure, but to claim such a prize,”
“ye must endure my shipwreck with ye own eyes.”
He motioned away to the garage of the house
Where the ocean’s depths haunted about
My child looked at me, in his knight’s costume and all
I was the courage he needed. We’d both face the squall
Taking his hand, I told him “Hold your breath.”
And together we entered the deep, dark depths
He clung to me when a shark swam by
And I myself was wary and wry
The seafloor glittered with the pirate’s lost gold
And scattered upon it, the bones of a pour soul
We continued on and found the shipwreck
The jolly roger was wrung by its neck
Through a port hole, a shadow did creep
The sucking of tentacles rang through the deep
“It’s time to go,” I thought. “Get the treasure and leave.”
I picked my child up and tripped on chains at my feet.
A cackling laugh found us at the surface.
I heard my son gasp, shaking and nervous.
The pirate leaned forward, and tilted his head.
His scarred cheeks were jolly and red.
“I take it ye got scared?” He asked with a smolder
My child was burying his head in my shoulder
When my child was silent, the pirate just laughed
He stepped back and grabbed his candy-filled stash
“What a brave little pirate, ye would make.”
“Take your piece of my treasure. You’ve earned it today.”
Out of my shoulder, my child did grin.
He took a whole handful of the candy within.
When I set him down, he looked at the depths.
His feet wouldn’t let him take more steps.
To my surprise, he asked with hesitant chin.
“Would it be alright if I went through again?”
The pirate grinned with gold on his tooth
“Aye,” he said, “but no more treasure for you.”
With a brave breath and his candy bag held tight
My child went alone back through that fright
I smiled and mamma, beside me, shook her head.
“He’ll be talking about this house straight up to bed.”
I quietly agreed. I know I will be to.
This house brought the block something anew.
My child ran out of the depths with a smile.
“Is it okay if we stayed here a while?”
Momma shook her head. It was school night after all.
I thanked the pirate and he stood up tall.
We headed down the drive, my son looking back
He waved to the pirate, that crazy quack
Then I heard him exclaim, as we drove off the scene
“Good night to you all, and Happy Halloween!”