Halloween Night

Halloween Night

The moon hangs pale above the wood,
Where shadows creep and dark has stood.
What rustles there behind the tree,
When night falls silently and free.

The pumpkins glow with golden flame,
Each carved with smile or silent name.
Who lit the eyes that watch the lane,
When mist comes drifting soft and plain.

Black cats slip through the garden gate,
With velvet fur and step so straight.
Where do they go when stars are bright,
Beneath the veil of Halloween night.

Old branches scratch at window panes,
As wind across the moorland strains.
What whispers ride the chilly breeze,
Through bending boughs and shaking trees.

The cobwebs drape the ancient wall,
Where spiders climb and never fall.
Who wove these threads so fine and grey,
To catch the dusk of shortening day.

A ghost floats down the empty street,
With noiseless step and pale cold feet.
Does it remember days gone by,
Beneath the vast and starry sky.

Witches ride on brooms of brown,
Above the roofs of sleeping town.
Where do they vanish at the dawn,
Before the first warm light is drawn.

Small feet run fast in cloak and hood,
With baskets full of gathered good.
What treats await behind each door,
Along the path they’ve trod before.

The owls call out from hollow tree,
Their voices wild and full of glee.
Who else is watching all around,
Upon this old enchanted ground.

Bonfires burn with orange glow,
While embers rise and softly go.
Is magic real within the air,
When all the world is dark and bare.

The night grows late, the moon dips low,
And all the strange bright shadows slow.
Sleep comes at last to every one,
Until the Halloween is done.