All Hallows
three o'clock
In the attic, the wind and the night moaned
Spat through the cracks, keened around doors
Silent, we woke, too terrified
To admit that, under the blankets, our hands trembled.
We rose, wrapped in odds and ends
Which we took from the bed, careless of type
We pulled back the curtains and watched
The trees, a black mass that shivered and swirled
Lashed by the wind, weary and spent –
We lit a candle, and watched the flame flicker
Threatening, if we were unkind, to bring back the dark.
The night spoke of hauntings and uncanny things
Hidden in shadows, in the deep hearts of woods
Long-fingered and tall with shriveling souls
Bound to the line between life and the dead.
At last we were tired, and blew out the candle
The wind screamed at the darkness, the rain slithered down
And some time while we slept, it passed on.