Posts on halloween

In storytime this morning, I asked the children what they were doing for Thanksgiving.

Me: There's a special holiday later this week. What is it?

Kids: Thanksgiving!

Me: Right! What are you going to do to celebrate Thanksgiving?

Kid 1: I'm going to be a skunk!

Kid 2: I'm going to be a fireman!

Kid 3: I'm going to be a fairy princess!

Me: OK, let me tell you what *I'm* going to do on Thanksgiving. My parents and some good friends are coming over, and we're going to eat a nice dinner together and celebrate the things that make us happy. What about you?

Kid 4: I'm going to be Bob the Builder!

Kid 5: I'm going to be a ladybug!

Kid 6: I'm going to be a skunk, too!

Clearly I've been going about this Thankgiving thing all wrong. I need a costume for Thursday, stat.

I didn't have to work yesterday, which was great for several reasons. First, I'd been working since Sunday, so I was more than ready for a break. Second, I didn't have to come up with a Halloween costume. I'm still recovering from the Halloween I wore blue jeans, a Western shirt, and a cowboy hat to work. All day, people of all ages asked me, "Oh, you're a cowgirl! Or are you a cowboy?" Um... let's not make this harder than it needs to be, folks!

Anyway, third: the weather was absolutely gorgeous, so I went down to the beach and sketched for a couple of hours. I do love to draw and wish I did it more often. I wish I played music more, too. Actually, there's a lot of things I wish I did more. But the way I look at it, I've only got time for one obsession right now. And writing has won.

Here's the least embarrassing of my sketches. I'm still learning how to use colored pencils. Seriously, it's harder than it sounds! I've got more experience with acrylics and pastels, where you layer from dark to light. Colored pencils and watercolors, you have to go light to dark. Conclusion: Prismacolors on black paper cannot look anything but awesome.

One last thing before I pedal off to work: no National Novel Writing Month for me this year. After a lot of thought, I decided I need to focus on my newish project so I don't lose all momentum. I'm still in that rocky transition period between projects, where my mind is still half on the last one. I need to concentrate my focus.

But I know quite a few of you are tackling Nano, and I wish you the best of luck! In the words of César Chávez, "Sí, se puede!" Yes, it can be done.

(Speaking of which, has anyone else noticed the similarity between Chávez's slogan and Obama's "Yes, we can"? No wonder the rich bosses are worried!

"Sí, se puede!" was also the motto of the Chicago elementary school I spent the most days subbing, back in my crazy subbing days. What a great motto, huh? They said it every day, right after the Pledge of Allegiance. Made me smile every time.)

Six weeks ago, I fell off the Ode Less Travelled wagon, all because of the stupid villanelle exercise. I tried to write one about the equinox, and it was just a misery.

Never one to shy from making the same mistake twice, however, I decided to try again. I meant to write a Halloween poem, but it turned into more of a villanelle for all seasons.
 

Hobgoblins

They come while you’re sleeping,
in the loneliest hour of night—
teeth gleaming, shadows creeping.

From cobweb corners peeping,
itching to claw, hungry to bite,
they come while you’re sleeping,

through your dreams slowly seeping.
They scratch deep within, white
teeth gleaming, shadows creeping

to the soft place you’re keeping
your hopes, hidden, bright.
But they come while you’re sleeping,

so you can’t stop their reaping.
Fearful, frozen, you can’t fight
the teeth gleaming, shadows creeping.

Left naked, raw, weeping,
you can’t sleep again. They might
come back while you’re sleeping—
teeth gleaming, shadows creeping.
 

Well, that was cheerful! Happy Halloween, everyone! Thanks for visiting the haunted house inside my brain!

This week's Poetry Friday round-up is hosted by Poetry for Children.