Blue Moon Parade (A Poem)

By Joyce Jacobo

[Author’s Note: I remember that a few years ago, we actually had a blue moon during October. That was quite a treat. Perhaps we’ll enjoy another special cosmic event soon.]

A blue moon rose among the ribbons of dark cloud

     which filled the skies that late Halloween evening

           . . . although the moon was closer to a golden

                                                rather than a blue hue

                          and much like a paper pumpkin lantern

                                         released to soar

                                                 along the Milky Way

Across the countryside           houselights flickered out

        as if blown away by the breath of cold wind

               on its way through the region

But other lights appeared               

            from up the slopes of nearby mountains

                    to down among the meadows

    while shadows cast by the moonlight twitched

                           in expectation

                          . . . both grew upwards or assumed shapes

                                       many strange             and contorted

All of them gravitated

         to a certain dirt road that wound

                  between various foothills

                          right beneath the cosmic pathway taken

                                              by the blue moon

Lights transformed into pumpkins and turnips flew

       carved as jack-o-lanterns that burned with determination

            followed by headless riders on horseback

                         and scarecrows eloped from cornfields

Shadows materialized into skeletons followed afterwards

               and moved in odd sideways jigs

                        only to pause at moments to swing their bones

                                from side                      to side

                                      before they bounced on tiptoe and twirled about

                                              to begin the whole process again

More and more figures appeared along the road

      sometimes born from light              sometimes born from shadows

                           or even born from a combination of the two

                 such as witches accompanied by black cats on their broomsticks

                        werewolves and vampires who each cried out in dominance

                                   zombies who groaned for brains

                                         assorted goblins and demons who played leapfrog

                                                    . . . among every conceivable manner of creature

                                                                  imagined by generations both past and present

                                                                              associated with the season

                                                                                       so close to its departure

                                                                                               for another year

                                                     . . .even a cloaked form

                                                                  with a scythe in one skeletal hand

                                                                          and an hourglass in the other

A great portal appeared ahead of them                       

     into which the procession marched in a gleeful frenzy

           while more and more            the clouds gathered over the blue moon

                                  now in fingers that interlaced and shut out the light bit

                                               by bit

                                                              by bit

Each spook and horror

         laughed

                  and jangled

                                  and clinked

                                                and clanked their way

                                                                out of the world

Soon enough dawn came                to clear away what gloom remained

                          and dispelled the clouds

To reveal the blue moon gone             alongside its parade

            but footsteps remained on the road

                           and memories wafted through the air

                                 in subtle traces fated to remain

                                               all year long

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