OntheWilderSide

Biggest Jack-O’-Lantern Ever

“Grandfather, you told me you would give me
the biggest Jack-O’-Lantern I’ve ever seen.”
“That I will, Juliane,”

Grandfather assures his ten-year-old granddaughter,
“and now is the time.”

“Oh, Grandfather, where is it?” she asks,
darting her eyes over the back field.
“All I see are left-there pumpkins.
I don’t see a great big pumpkin
with eyes, a nose, a mouth.”
“You will,” Grandfather replies, eyeing his watch, the clear sky.

“It’s getting time. We better walk down
to the pond at the end of the pumpkin field.”
Juliane pulls on her paper-mache pumpkin hat,
her black dress with large white stars,
and taking her grandfather’s hand
they find their way among scattered pumpkins.

“None of these pumpkins has a face, Grandfather,” she murmurs.
“Wait, my dear. It’s getting darker. We’re almost at the clearing.”

“Oh, Grandfather, I see the top of the moon,” she says,
pointing to the lunar pumpkin starting his climb above the pond’s hill.
“Keep watching,” Grandfather says, smiling.

“Oh, grandfather, I see eyes.”

“Oh, Grandfather, I see a nose.”
“Oh, Grandfather, I see a big smiling mouth.”
“I told you,” he laughs.

“Oh, Grandfather,” Juliane hurrahs, waving at the happy man-in-the-moon,
“you’ve given me the biggest “Jack-O’-Lantern I’ve ever seen!”

(c) Maxwell Corydon Wheat, Jr. and used with permission.
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Max Wheat will be one of the performers at the PeaceSmiths Coffehouse this month! More details to follow. Quick info below:

PeaceSmiths Topical, A-Typical, Folk Music, Poetry and Whatever Coffeehouse

Filed under: Holidays, local, long island, nature, poetry Tagged: | halloween, Max Wheat, Maxwell Wheat, poetry, pumpkin