Monday, October 09, 2006

Ode to Halloween

In case you haven't noticed, Halloween is coming. Soon. And if you've been in a Target lately, you might think it is tomorrow (followed directly by Christmas, of course -- no time for giving thanks, shoppers). "What I Will Be for Halloween" has been the main topic of the after-school snack table for several weeks, and the costumes have finally been decided. Older Girl will be a cowgirl; she thought for a while that she would go all old-school and cut holes in a sheet to be a ghost, a la E.T., but then she got one of those horses on a stick for her birthday and that clinched it for the cowgirl. The Boy had considerably less trouble deciding; he will be James, The Red Engine (from Thomas the Tank Engine, for all of you who may not be Sodor Islanders). And Baby Girl will be a chicken -- oh yes, no one is spared in our house!

So in the spirit of Halloween, I submit to you a story poem written entirely by Older Girl Langan, aged 7:

Halloween Spooks

Halloween spooks are everywhere,
On the ground or in the air.

Be very careful where you walk,
A spook could catch you in the dark.

Haunted houses, watch out, for
In them you'll find spooks galore.

If you're in a haunted house,
Watch out for the magic mouse.

They eat eyeballs, they drink blood,
They will even devour mud!

Spooks carve jack-o-lanterns, too.
But their faces frighten you!

They go trick-or-treating, too,
But they don't wear costumes like you!

Halloween spooks love to play pranks!
They even play them on fish in tanks!

Now your friends must say good-bye,
But they will always be nearby!

I wish I had a scanner, because I think what I love best are the illustrations, especially the artist's rendering of a giant spider, who I was informed was the "King Spider," complete with a crown, robe, and scepter, with little spiders-in-waiting weaving webs for him. I don't know where the lines about "eating eyeballs" came from, because she is notoriously non-gory, but I love the fact that she puts "devouring mud" right up there with "drinking blood." I asked her about it and she said, "Well some people think Halloween has to be gross, so I just put that in there." (I guess she's trying to reach a larger demographic?)
She made the poem into a book and stapled it together, with a dedication page that reads: "For the Family." The back cover says, "A spooky Halloween tale!" and she told me that it was supposed to be like the back covers of real books where you can "get an idea about what the book is about."

She's a pretty fantastic kid, that Older Girl. Man, do I love her.

7 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:14 AM

    Wow! The literary talent runs in the family, I guess. That was really fun.

    There was no doubt or debate in our household re: halloween costumes. The Bug knew from the first mention . . . "I'm going to be a PRINCESS!!"

    Happy Halloween!

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  2. Oh, yes . . . the "princess" was very big in our house a few years back and I'm sure it will come around again for Baby Girl. Thank goodness I never throw anything away! The Bug must be getting so big!!

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  3. VERY creative! Good for her!

    Costumes around here--Big Brother is undecided. He is thinking hard to find something to top his 2-years-ago Martha Stewart with handcuffs....Middle Sister (right now) will be an Ipod Commercial (dressed all in black, glow in the dark fake Ipod) and Little Brother will be a pirate. I only have to buy an eye patch. I love cheap costumes!

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  4. Anonymous12:43 PM

    i remember a precocious young girl in my elementary school class that won a poetry contest with a poem about a rose (?) am i remembering that right? *grin*
    my babe will be Tigger this year (i bought the costume last year on ebay, but it was too big-- this year, just right!)
    (can't remember my login, but this is kimmy!)

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  5. Anonymous1:48 PM

    She is so talented!
    :) Christina

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  6. Anonymous8:19 AM

    Someone got her mother's talent it would appear!

    Costumes in the household this year are a 'Zombie Cheerleader' for the girlie (we went through the princess phase as well...no more cutsey, now we're onto scary) and for the boy...well...he wants to be a noodle monster. Yeah...a noodle monster. Just Google the phrase 'Flying Spaghetti Monster' and you'll see what I have to come up with. I can thank my brother for that one as he showed the thing to the kids when he was down here visiting. I've got some creative costuming to do in the coming weeks!

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  7. Anonymous9:59 PM

    Love that poem.

    Primo has decided to be a vapire bat. Buba will be the letter H. Yes, an H. Not surprisisng given his letter and number obsession, but difficult to explain to those who don't know him.

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