The Queens of Halloween
a poem celebrating love of our favorite holiday with my aunt
September 1st, the siren call to break
into our fall collections, to pull from storage
the five boxes kept with our fall decor.
I get my love of the holiday from my Aunt-
the one who stood in the stairway when
Castle Shannon Volunteer Fire Department
had a fire building- welcoming visitors to
her school and giving the typical haunted
house spiel. I dressed in a fur coat as a kid
to add to the ambiance- a girl put under spell
(much like in real life) first image
after walking through a school bus of volunteers.
The school was torn down in the early 2000s
ending the seasonal procession. My aunt
still crafted holiday decor and took everything
with pumpkin spice from October on. A true
requirement for a retired headmistress.
As for me, I fell harder than I’ve ever fallen in love
with the folklore of Halloween- the ghost stories,
horror movies (my favorite include Oculus, Truth
or Dare and all adaptions of the thriller It).
My bookshelves containing shelves dedicted to
vampires, werewolves, witches and hauntings.
Reading that is enjoyed 365 but feels required
for the 60 days leading up to October 31st.
The visits to witchy get together and zombie stomps
make my most desired list, except this year.
This year is a focus on the folklore,
and a wedding to take place on October 31st.
No costumes, no top hats, no Victorian ruffles.
A gold dress with sparkles which will be replaced
with total black and a safety pinned punk jacket
to spend an hour laying out with my new husband
looking at an orangish moon after a horror marathon .
I may never be a queen in the vein of my aunt
but the love never dies. It’s a 365 commitment.
Keeping the creepy spirit of the holiday alive
well after midnight on October 31st.
