Monday, October 27, 2014

It's Time for a Halloweensie Poem!

   Every year, Susanna Leonard Hill holds a contest where writers can submit a 100-word poem, and here is mine: (93 words)

                   Halloween Moon
   One dark and moonless Halloween night,
the ancient witch wished for some light.
    Her eyes could barely see the knife,
but carving was her joy in life.
    She cut the mouth and heard a cry.
The pumpkin screamed, "I want to fly!"
     The witch snarled, "Pumpkins shouldn't speak!
But my old bones now tremble and creak.
     I give you my broomstick, now fly like a loon!"
So the pumpkin flew off--and turned into the moon!
     The pumpkin knew the joy of flight,
And the witch kept carving, by silvery light.

   Find links to the other entries on Susanna's blog,
http://susannahill.blogspot.com/ 

   Oh, and the cat in the picture is my new (15 years-old) cat Nellie that I adopted last weekend.  She's posing with one of the pumpkins I grew this summer.  Happy Halloween, and remember that chocolate can be dangerous for pets!

45 comments:

  1. Great folktale feel. Very cool ending too. Good luck.

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    1. Thanks, Johnell! I was going for that folktale, legend-type feel.

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  2. The carving witch is a fun visual character! (and I'm glad pets can't eat chocolate so I don't have to share!)

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  3. Great story, Deborah! Love the Halloween tale of the witch and the moon. Well done!

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  4. Great job, Jonelle. Love the halloween photo too. :)
    Happy Halloween! Don't let the Great Pumpkin get you.

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    1. Thanks, Clarbojahn! I'm looking forward to pumpkin soup!

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  5. Good story. I love - So the pumpkin flew off--and turned into the moon!

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  6. Deborah, that's very lovely. It feels like a folk tale or nursery rhyme where it's so believable at the end you think, "Oh, that's how the moon got up there."

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  7. Perfect tale for Halloween, Deborah. What an excellent ending. Your poem made my heart smile. Really great.

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  8. Ha! That tricky old witch! The ending made me cackle!

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  9. This had a nice twist to the ending. By the light of the silvery moon is singing in my head.

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    1. Ha! Well, at least it's a nice song. I hate it when advertising jingles get stuck!

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  10. Beautiful lyrical language and a fun story all rolled into one. Thank you

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    1. Thanks, Cecilia, although I think "the ancient witch wished" is tricky to say. I may revise it down the road.

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  11. So they both got what they needed! What a satisfying ending - I enjoyed this story Deb!

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  12. Oh my gosh, I love this. Beautiful language and story.

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  13. Oooh, this is one of my favorites, Deb! Congrats on Nellie, your gorgeous pumpkin, and a clean bill of health! :0ooo

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  14. This is wonderful (as always!) Deborah! I love that the pumpkin and the witch end up solving each other's problems - so clever - and your rhyme is beautiful! Thanks so much for joining in the Halloweensie high jinx! :) Also, Nellie is gorgeous and so lucky to have found you :)

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    1. Thanks, Susanna, for your kind words and for this contest, too!

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  15. So cute. So after all the witch had a soft spot :) Liked it very much. Especially the 'Fly like a loon' !

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    1. Thanks, Rupali! Not a lot of flying creatures that rhyme with moon!

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  16. Love your tale--it has the feel of a Kipling legend with Halloween thrown in the mix!

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    2. Oh my, now you've got me feeling all literary, Buffy! Thank you!

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  17. Loved your very clever poem. Very original!

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  18. I like this Halloweensie twist to how the moon got up there in the sky. Good luck. :)

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  19. Ooh, I love this one, especially since the October full moon is the most orange of the year! Very apropos.

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    1. Thanks, SL--I hadn't thought of that, but you're right!

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  20. Loved your story Deborah. Cleverly written. Also read a few other posts of yours. Very inspiring! I am from New Zealand so pleased to see you met Joy Cowley (lucky you).

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  21. Pleased to meet you too, Diane! Joy is such a dear lady, and funny! So while we're getting ready for winter, you are about to greet the summer, right? Enjoy! And thanks for your kind words. I found out last Tuesday that the surgery, chemo and radiation worked, and the cancer is GONE!

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