Summer’s outdoor season
has reached its end
Autumn’s harvest has been
safely gathered in
Dry crops and foods all sheltered
and stored
Prepared for winter’s cold
and blustery arrival
October’s last few days
carry an extra interest
‘T’is the time when
shivers lurk around about
Betwixt days of Halloween
and All Saint’s Day
When olde Celtic
traditions celebrate Samhain
It’s an opportunity for
all manner of fairy folk
As goblins and other
spirits seek out our souls
Whilst ugly ghouls wail
and screech to scare
Daring to trick or treat
our mortal response
There’s a sliver of thin
light from us to them
To unknown worlds of those
who have died
Elders tell stories of age-old
mythical folklore
Candles often flicker as
we wait in our watch…
Eileen T O’Neill
30/10/2019
https://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com/2019/10/poets-united-midweek-motif-million.html
"time when shivers lurk " nicely expressed.
ReplyDeleteAh yes scary time. Thanks for dropping by to read mine
Much💞love
You have captured the feelings of this time of year so well. It is definitely a time for candles.
ReplyDeleteMost definitely a time for candles and watching. We don't do fireworks at Halloween in this part of the country. Instead we have children knocking on doors and begging for candy. If you have the light on they knock. If you don't, the move along.
ReplyDeleteLove this!❤️ Especially resonate with; "There’s a sliver of thin light from us to them. To unknown worlds of those who have died."
ReplyDeleteHow we wish for those things that hopefully give us a link with our loved ones that have died. However it is the nature of candles to flicker but not to pass messages from the dead.
ReplyDelete"as we wait in our watch…" We stand against the other world, yes. Thank you, Eileen, from someone whose ancestors were among the Celts.
ReplyDeleteI love the candles at the end - they cast a wonderful light over the poem
ReplyDeleteI love this time of year, and your poem does a wonderful job of capturing the feel of autumn ending, and the death/passing/veil-lifting that goes along with it.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful.
ReplyDeleteHaha! Nicely done. You add story to flickering candles. And I love this: "Daring to trick or treat our mortal response."
ReplyDeleteOh, you've got it all! And I particularly like the ending.
ReplyDeleteYou aptly describe the gateway between warm weather and chill, the harvest and the storing, the living and the deceased. Standing by here with the flickering candles... :)
ReplyDeleteThis is delightful, Eileen, fast paced but ever mining deeper thoughts. Towards the end I like elders involvement, first hand knowledge of interfacing with the spirit world. I can see the younger watching and hearing in awe with open mouths.
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Oh, love the mood in this. Watching and waiting for what will appear. I too like the elders being written in. We so need the stories they hold.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful.
ReplyDeleteYou have made me feel the season, Eileen.
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