Hallow Even

Jack found the biggest pumpkin

I had ever seen, I swear,

He wheeled it in a barrow from

The local Pumpkin Fair,

‘And what d’you think you’ll do with that?’

His sister said, Colleen,

‘I’ll make a Jack O’Lantern, for

Tonight, it’s Halloween!’

 

‘I betcha don’t!’ ‘I bet I do!’

They said, in childish chat,

For Jack was two years older so

He gave her tit for tat,

‘I’m gonna dress up like a witch

And put a spell on you,

That thing will end up pumpkin soup

Mixed in my witch’s brew!’

 

‘I’ll put my clothes on inside out,

Walk backwards round the fire,

My Lantern will bring back the dead,

I’m raising Jim O’Dwyer,

And he will bring the big black sow…’

But that was when she screamed,

His father cuffed him round the head

‘Stop frightening Colleen!’

 

O’Dwyer still hung in chains back then

Had danced his final jig,

He’d strangled little Annie Penn

Then fed her to his pig.

They hung him at the old crossroads

And staked his wicked heart,

And Colleen shut her eyes up tight

When passing, in the cart.

 

That night they lit the bonfire and

Then went to trick or treat,

The farmers gave them soul cakes

And their wives some home-made sweets,

But Colleen had complained all night

Had moaned and told them lies,

He said, ‘You wait ‘til we get home,

I’ll raise Widow Tresize!’

 

Tresize had been their schoolmarm

And had caned them as she taught,

Colleen had felt it on her legs

When she and Jack had fought,

The widow ended coughing blood

All over Colleen’s dress,

And Colleen screamed as she collapsed,

‘Look what you’ve done - Bad cess!’

 

She’d always been a spiteful child

And Jack would sit and brood,

Each time his father punished him

For being rough, or crude,

He’d sit up lonely in his room

And tear her dolls apart,

Imagining no sister as

He stuck pins in her heart.

 

The Lantern sat in pride of place

Out by the great bonfire,

Its evil eyes glowed in the dark,

Its mouth, a dreadful leer,

But Colleen threw a tantrum

Said the face made her feel sick,

She set about it with her broom

And poked it, with a stick.

 

The pumpkin smashed, in pieces lay

Jack sat with wounded pride,

He took her witches broom and flung it

In the fire, outside,

Another cuff around the head

His anger turned to hate,

And Colleen sniggered just once more

And sealed her morbid fate.

 

The barrel in the kitchen floated

Apples by the score,

The dunking was the one good thing

That Jack was waiting for,

When Colleen dunked and dunked again

Jack stood behind, and frowned,

Then called out to his father, ‘Da!

I think Colleen has drowned!’

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Jazique]

Ive decided no longet to say wow when im left speechless, but clap (clapping). This is some great creative Halloween spirit i mean i did not see the kill coming at all. this would be a perfect read at our free read Halloween theme, if you dont mind. i even read this out loud creating the suspense hearing the wonderful rhyming as it followed. Reading word for word hanging on till the end when i saw 'sweetness' with a smile. anyways truly well dine getting into the spirit reeling in and catching the audiences attention.

[Rob Santana]

The love and hate relationship between a brother and sister.I know all to well. I have 3 younger sisters.....I'm the only boy, haha

[minisla]

enjoyed the read David.

[A.r. Bazian]

an amazing helloween piece of poetry!
perfect!
no more words need be said!

[Valentine]

You mean that little brat drowned his own sister..whew..I used to love Halloween..being from a family of 9 children..we would go for hours getting all of the goodies we could as dad could not buy them all of the time..today it is celebrated in town as people are asfraid of poisoned goodies..katihe

[emmy bon]

god writing sir

[Lena M. P.]

I used to torture my brothers and they too would get the beatings for picking on their poor little defenseless (sinister) sister. HA! Glad your poem wasn't around back then. My fate would have been sealed! LOL

[Andrew N. Farrens]

yeah, good stuff, please submit it to my Halloween writing contest...........
Res Ipsa Loquitur

.A.N.F.

100/100

[Extant]

*Laughs* Wow, just wow. A perfect David Lewis Paget twist to the time of the year. Just amazing, I had so much fun reading.

[MOON]

Horror , sibling rivalry taken too far .. lyrical scary write.