Come Close, Children

by David Blalock

Come close, children.  Stay quite near.
In the forest hard by here
Haunts a spirit all men fear.
In the winter of his life
Mister Stevens took a knife
And in anger killed his wife.
One year later, to the day,
Mistress Stevens made him pay
For her murder the hard way.

As he slumbered deep in dream
The killed woman crossed Death's stream
Clothed in darkness 'gainst his seeing.
Her touch icy, cold, and dead
'Long his shoulder, neck, and head
Wrenched him waking to face dread.
As her shade caressed his face
His eyes widened, his heart raced.
The ghost cackled, gave him chase.

Bolting from his bed in fright
He went screaming to the night.
Stumbling, blindly on he ran
With her mem'ry in his van.
In the darkness yet unseen
Stood a statue on the green;
Cupid's image, bow tight drawn,
In his course placed upon the lawn.

On Puck's image he was spit
And his spirit from him quit
But for Death's Peace was not fit.
Now the forest is his home;
Ever after he's alone
Looking for a child to own.
So stay close kids, Halloween.
To your parents listen keen.
Mister Stevens' really mean.
E-mail:jrlthran@memphisonline.com