A Halloween Hymn

A cousin to Ebenezer Scrooge

had been part of a similar scene;

he’d had the same issue that Scrooge did,

though his problem was Halloween

 

“What is the point of this madness,

for children to roam in the streets,

threatening naughty behavior

at refusals to hand over sweets.”

 

“Humbug!” he said with a scowling,

declaring the holiday cursed.

His door and his heart were locked tightly

Each October the thirty-first.

 

Last year an uncanny occurrence

changed his peevish mood fast;

he had three ghostly night visitors ~

Halloweens Future, and Present, and Past

 

Past, she showed him his boyhood

Halloween then, joy ignited;

With Present, he witnessed a party

to which he had not been invited.

 

The third spirit would be the clincher,

one that would strike our friend dumb;

just as with Scrooge years before him,

the Ghost of what was to come.

 

He looked into the face of the Reaper,

and the visage was deeply grim;

the countenance found staring back was

his very own face ~ it was him!

 

Well, that was all our friend needed,

he got it in that very breath;

if you are not a giver of sweetness,

you become the portent of Death!

 

 

Author's Note

A challenge accepted...

Reviews

[Sheila Kline]

Bravo, bravo, bravo---------challenge accepted and splendidly executed and brought to "Halloweeniton"!!
You have truly done a wonderful job with the concept of Ebeneezer Scrooge and the past, present and future of a boy's Halloween nights!
You are very clever and I agree with Frieda! You are a tough lady to fool and will need one tougher challenge to get the best of you!! I hope you are very proud of this write, as you should be!! I think the last verse is especially splendid!!

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you, Sheila! This was a fun challenge, kept me thinking for a bit. Happy you enjoyed this Halloween spoof of a classic!

[Frieda P]

Ha the Scrooge of Halloween, what a concept, that'd be me, seriously who thought up dressing little tykes as monsters and sending them out to gather candy from strangers!...haha, you nailed this one too Rita! Killer ending...pun intended. ;-)

[Rita L. Sev]

Ha! One could imagine that there is a "Scrooge" for all holidays - but of course, he always changes his ways! Thanks, Frieda!

[Frieda P]

I'm definitely going to have to think of a tougher challenge for that pen of yours. ;-)

[icelandicblue]

What a great twist on an old story. I love the two options at the end. I am loving your rhyme and your creative mind Rita. Great work in this one.

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you, Blue - having some fun with all the Halloween possibilities!