Halloween Hustle 1st Place Winner
My dear,
Halloween won’t always be so scary.
It’s confusing, I know
Why everyone likes it so
But believe that which is written below,
You’ll grow out of being unwary.
The dark won’t be such a daunting beast,
That creeps in late at night to feast
With fears that fester under your bed
Inside your piles of clothes.
The day won’t be just a quick escape
A relief from fright that’s snatched away
As soon as it pops back into your head
That evening is creeping close.
You won’t feel sick when you get tucked in
For knowledge of sleeplessness and din
Accompanied by your books and teddies
Distracting yourself in prose
And you won’t be afraid of the scary stories
The ones that are haunting, and graphic, and gory
Nor the ones that follow you round the bend
As you walk your path back home.
I wish that now, I could turn back the clock
And hold your hand as the paths we walk
Slowly come to converge as one
I don’t want you to be alone.
So hold your head up high, my dear,
For that day grows progressively near
The day that the dark becomes a friend
And the quiet becomes a home.
You won’t always be scared by Halloween.
One day, it will become something you like.
Until then, hold your head up high
Let your weary head rest on your pillow at night
With no fear of the dark to draw the sleep out from your bones.
With love.
- Claire Allen