Halloween Haibun
Mischief makers hit the streets
Midnight plunder for treasured sweets
Masks to hide their fear of dark
Moods of trouble tradition sparks
Long transformed from lighted gourd
Chasing spirits with will and sword
When the witching hour would begin
The Christian church marked as sin
Now, coloured characters of varied size
Hoot and holler and terrorize
Spirits themselves both evil and good
Dance in the streets of your neighbourhood
They run amok in commercial bliss
They yell and howl and sneer and hiss
A teeming mixture of joy and fright
The clowns and ghouls of Halloween night
Leafless trees swaying
Shed their colour to the ground
Haunt the passersby