A Bone to Pick (#PoetryMonday *)

Ezekiel 37

dem bones
dem bones

the faded leaves leave behind limbs
dark and wet, stripped of color

dem bones
dem bones

shellacked by the rain, whipped by the wind
twigs clatter and scatter on the ground

dem bones
dem bones

chilly fear fresh squeezed from pure hearts
rises up masquerading as giggles in the dark

dem bones
dem bones

we grip
tightly our bounty bags
   the collected candy as precious as gems
   the currency of our childhood
we amble
in clusters through the howling neighborhood
   with staccato barks of surely rabid wild dogs
   seasoning the wind more chill
we glide
a gang of costumed goblins
   witchlings
   cowboys
   super heroes
   affable spooks

dem bones
dem bones

once upon a time halloween was fun
and not a horror fest

dem bones
dem bones

now evil poisons everything
where innocence fails to flourish

dem bones
dem bones
dem dry bones

arise and give glory to the lord





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* It's PoMo! To learn about PoMo (POetry MOnday), click here and then scroll down. 

As a kid I used to love Halloween, Now, not as much. For one thing, it has become ridiculously commercialized -- it’s all about the Benjamins. For another, it’s become far too bloody and horrified. In some instances, the imagery involved is simply evil. What was once innocent fun, in my opinion, has become dangerously dark. And somewhat of a metaphor for the times we live in. Another Halloween-themed poem is “Rounds.” What do you think? Do you feel Halloween has become too gory?Please share your thoughts and impressions in the comments!

NOTE: The following lines break above due to the graphic. They do not break in the original:

• “shellacked by the rain, whipped by the wind”
• “chilly fear fresh squeezed from pure hearts”
• “rises up masquerading as giggles in the dark”

This poem is included in this collection: