With ghostly light
Sits on the porch
Still, with a knife
Right on the nose
Flame, light, and shine
Round lid and hollows
The pumpkin lamp
The children will follow
It hopes to breath
Fire and glow
As children will come
For candy tomorrow
Orangy dance
Hallowee’ horror
A clear, bright night
Bringing explorers
A wizard, a tiger
A minion, a swallow
The Jack-O’-Lantern
The children will follow
Deep-carved eyes
And no ears, oh no
Guiding their steps
To the candy-land world
With the cap removed
And two teeth in black
Spirits and witches
Start to come back
Right at the door
Guarded by pumpkins
An angel and demons
A spider and clown twins
Ghostly moon light
Counting the sheep
To the candy-land world
It’s time to sleep
Haydeé Espino is a poet and translator from Ciudad Juárez, México. She is currently studying for her PhD in Translation Studies at Kent State University, and splits her time between Cleveland, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois.