Pumpkin Palimpsest

Oh hail all hallows eve and the turning of the year
when spirit lives and spirit breaths
and culling time for pumpkins.

Hail guardians of the watchtowers, archangels of the dead,
raise your swords these witching hours
and please protect our pumpkins.

There are thieves in rural Lincolnshire, who come out after dark,
trampling through the muddy mire
and stealing all our pumpkins.

There are children dangerous and armed, wearing evil faces,
believing they are safe from harm
and slashing at our pumpkins.

There are families with no grace or faith, who really should know better
than risk the wrath and wroth of wraith
by mutilating pumpkins.

Oh hail the annual pumpkin fest, one hundred boring recipes,
an orange feast of orange flesh
and crime against all pumpkins.

Oh hail the world of ghoul and ghost, cast shadows over all.
and chill the bones of those who boast
of doing death to pumpkins.

Oh hail All Hallows Eve and the turning of the year.
when veils between the worlds grow thin and dank dark death draws near,
make your resolutions now, take care of all that lives,
be good to those around you
and always kind to pumpkins.

Sue Watling (2015)