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Halloween booty
sailing for the Milky Way
by night

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Video recording of an online horror reading, part of Fright Fest 2022 at the Hampton Public Library. Readings by Adele Gardner, Angela Yuriko Smith, Christina Sng, me, John Mannone, and Mike Allen.

https://www.facebook.com/HamptonPublicLibraryVA/videos/839699643832344

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This This is the best part Roll down the windows Let the cool air caress your face Don't remember That it'll be hot and sunny In just a few hours, or that By the end of this sweet October Children bundled in winter coats Costumes peeking out from under Will be knocking at the door.

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nailing the lid down

we thought Uncle Jake's 

harassment of his ex

would end when he died

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his head rides shotgun

on his way through town

helmet law obeyed

 

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One of us entered in a
bright October midnight
one of us lay sleeping
neck long and warmly pulsing
one of us leaned in close
inhaled the most intoxicating scent
one of us winced, then paled to ivory

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teen vamp club

bonbons saunter in in pairs 

wearing high collars

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student embalmer

burning the mummy

at both ends

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the mummy went up

in an instant

concealing the perfect crime

 

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the necromancer's apprentice

studies hard

parties harder

burning the mummy

at both ends

 

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disappointment's what I felt

when they found you

still alive

I can't seem

to do anything right

 

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We see the same ghouls and witches
Trick-or-treating under orange moons
Never imagined a broomstick
Would take you this far
And all the air you needed for the trip
How did the zombies do it?
Or the mummies?

Traditions die hard —
At least the ghosts are real

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Catch

They’re out fishing after midnight, Halloween night. Neither one catching a blamed thing.

Why they call this Virgin Lake, Earl?

Ever’body knows that. It’s the girl.

What girl?

The one that drowned. In her car. You remember.

Well, seem like maybe I do. A party, right?

Yep. Halloween night. That’s why we come here tonight. They say she shows herself. Anniversary of her death, an' all.

I don’t wanna see no ghost. I wanna catch fish!

Come to think of it, guess that’s why they ain’t bitin’. Skeered.

Shit, Earl, we gotta go!

You ain’t skeered of no ghost like some dumb fish, are ya, Bobby?

Heck, no. Course I ain't. But the fish ain’t bitin’ nohow.

Huh. You remind me of her.

You knew her?

Took her to that party. She drove, cos my truck needed some work. Pretty little thing.

What’s that noise, Earl?

Frog. Yeah, pretty as she wanna be. But she did me dirt that night. She-- what?

That ain’t no frog.

Well, then it was a fish jumping. Anyway, I just wanted to take her out back. You know. What did she think we were there for, anyway? It sure as hell wasn't cookies and conversation. But she wouldn't give me even a kiss. When I saw how it was, I called her a cold bitch. If she had slapped me I was going to give it back in spades. But she stomped back out the front door. Before I knew it she had taken off with my damn ride.

There it is again. And that ain't no fish, no frog neither.

I'll tell you what I don't think it is. A ghost. You want to hear the rest of story, or not?

So then what?

Plenty of girls there. I found one would do what I wanted. She gave me a ride home afterwards. Next morning we found out what happened. The car in the lake. Girl's body wasn't inside. They dove for her, but they never found anything. I don't know why she did it. Wasn't drunk. Hadn't had a drop to drink. I’d tried to give her some. Thought it would loosen her up.

Damn waste of a fine body. Waste of a fine car, too. '57 Chevy, two-tone, tiptop condition. Well, I guess she ain't gonna show. Let's — holy shit, Bobby! There she is, rising up right behind you! Reaching for you!

Ha ha. The way you screamed and jumped. I had you going. Bet you crapped your pants. You know you did. Get up now and start rowing. Loser rows. Come on. Bobby? Bobby?

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cute little ghost
candy falls right thru her bag
at every house

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October moon
witches and goblins skip
thru its beams

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The Death of Halloween


all the candy
to the first trick-or-treater
none and none

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skittering down the street
legends and nightmares
seek their toothsome prey

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her ghoulfriend
wasn't welcome anymore
no eating the guests!

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The dead rise tonight
we put them to bed tomorrow
conflating tradition
is the new
what we do
but then again
the Catholic Church did this
when they were The Church
merging local tradition and holidays
with their Calendar
perhaps it has always been
what we do

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carving anger
or joy into the pumpkin
seeds for the toasting