The Day After Halloween

There was a strange lull the day after Halloween

A new shade of gray painted down the street

The tombstones blown and flapping to the earth,

The candy wrappers strewn on straggling lawns

The ghouls drifted directionless in the November breeze

That went out and bought some fine white teeth

at some time during a drizzling night

On the curious rounds of trick or treat.

On the morning by the daycare, by the blasted church

My feet crunched on the bones in the tiny leaves

Oblivious to the once fine filigree,

Oblivious to what lies underneath

There were fine ideas once on this thoroughfare

and elegant ladies on the sunny street

But the homes are now weary and coated in grime

They've seen far too many Halloweens.

We talked about pumpkins, of carving the eyes

and lighting up a memories from another time

But instead another year passed on by

And we left them to rot in the sodden ground

We fool ourselves with these empty ideas

Is there any more empty vessel than this gourd with hollow eyes?

That mocks us from the pumkin patch

and mouths empty words at the November skies.