10.31.2016

Trick or Treat

At Halloween, you wax poetic
on roaming packs of kids frenetic
trick or treating, gorging chocolate,
razor blades be damned. You'd walk
and run and roam the streets,
bands of ghouls on tireless feet,
laughing, shrieking, no cell phone
so no one told you to come home.

Now you watch your kids. No daring,
urging them to please be caring.
Don’t slip & fall! Please & thank-you
no matter what those people gave you,
thanks for pencils, teensy toys--
act like you are overjoyed.
Be polite, please, and be safe.
On sidewalks, parents congregate

Hovering over progeny,
protecting them from everything.
Meet your neighbors on Halloween!
Friendly chatter, then never seen
again until this time next year.
You’ll re-introduce then, never fear.
Retreat into your house again,
reflect on childhood now, and then.

Re-sharing this truthy poem from a couple years back. Happy Halloween!
Posted by Marian at 11:20 AM
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15 comments:

  1. Sherry Blue SkyOctober 31, 2016 at 12:39 PM

    Yes, childhood now and then. Sigh. Thankfully children still manage to find wonder and laughter, as children always will. I can imagine your two invented some stellar costumes!

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    1. MarianNovember 1, 2016 at 6:03 AM

      I was actually a bit let down this year because they wore some cosplay costumes that they had put together earlier this year. They love being those characters (from anime), but I was disappointed not to be rushing around creating some kind of Halloween costume for them. :) Oh well. They still got a major haul of candy trick-or-treating! Good grief, all that candy in my house.

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  2. TimoteoNovember 1, 2016 at 9:14 AM

    This sums the whole experience up in a nutshell. (Assuming you got nuts along with the candy!)

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  3. Kerry O'ConnorNovember 1, 2016 at 9:20 AM

    This is very truthsome.. I never experienced the fears that plague childhood in this century.

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  4. Stacie EirichNovember 1, 2016 at 11:54 AM

    Oh my you have hit hard on this one, with a bitter truth. I often feel like one of the only adults (or even kids) out of doors during the year, when my neighborhood (large, with over 200 homes) looks like a ghost-town. Indeed, last night it was swarming with glowing lights & people abound -- & yes, there were quite a few coloring books, small toys & pretzels given -- but candy too (though I'm sure, no nuts).

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  5. MargaretNovember 1, 2016 at 2:09 PM

    SO different these days - we loved getting spooked, walking through the "scary" places by ourselves - rang doorbells and hid in ditches a few times - once toilet papered a tree. We would also change costumes and go around again. Parents had NO idea where we were - Perhaps it is better today after I think about it. Ha. OH, and my parents NEVER bought me a costume - we had to be creative.

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  6. brudbergNovember 1, 2016 at 3:44 PM

    I never grew up with Halloween... it started gradually and have never been about scaring, more about candy and being protective... it might be a few coming over during the weekend... but nothing now (and it's raining heavy)

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  7. gillena coxNovember 1, 2016 at 7:19 PM

    That outdoor festive does not happen here so All i know of it is from media reports. Though nowadays there are projects happening in some school

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  8. hyperCRYPTICalNovember 1, 2016 at 7:57 PM

    Excellent write. Must admit I turn my doorbell off every Halloween (if I am at work) lest my lovely vulnerable hubs be bothered with it. Over here (this side of the pond) until a few years ago, Halloween was never a big thing, now it is, and I don't know what to make of it!

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  9. colleenNovember 1, 2016 at 8:17 PM

    What fun. I hope you submitted it to the local paper or somewhere.

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  10. Vandana SharmaNovember 2, 2016 at 1:23 AM

    Happy Halloween!!

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  11. AnonymousNovember 2, 2016 at 4:01 AM

    There's something wonderfully parent-in-child and child-in-parent here, Halloween as an enabler for both to come out and play. We didn't get many kids this Halloween -- the black kids stayed away this time, fearing Trump nation? -- but there were a number of child-Mom combos and it was hard to tell who was having more fun. A durable--though vulnerable--holiday for all. Great stuff.

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  12. JimNovember 2, 2016 at 7:58 AM

    Wonder what the far future will be like? Will we drop our treats, sprinkling them from our work drone, onto each doorstep? We could decorate it. I really liked your kids look this year, the dresses looked so nice. Our seven-year old was Dorothy again, of "Wizzard of Oz," her had Daddy had thrown Toto out since last year. Or we think so. KP didn't seem to mind. I did, quietly.
    ..

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  13. Buddah MoskowitzNovember 2, 2016 at 5:52 PM

    Excellent, i loved the rush of ideas and memories.

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  14. Samyuktha JayaprakashNovember 3, 2016 at 8:37 AM

    Vivid scenes. Happy Halloween :) ( I know I'm late)

    This looks like an excellent blog! :D Planning to drop by more often

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