Student Publishing Program ::

Jeffrey T.

All Hallow's Eve

It’s Halloween,

my favorite time of the year.

A time to dress up in costumes

and beg people for candy or money.

Though I have reached the age of 16,

I still participate as a zombie engineer.

My ragged tie, worn from ages of use,

hangs around my neck loosely near the bite mark I make on my neck.

My friends dress up too.

We form a gang of wild and diverse creatures,

as Batman, a cardboard box, and a gang-banger.

This tradition is childish, I know,

but nothing is quite the same as running though the brisk autumn air

and scaring young children.

Their eyes turn to fear as they scream blood-curdling screams

that echo throughout the poorly lit suburban neighborhood.

We go door-to-door executing tricks

or pilfering treats in the silent night.

A night of fears for some, while a night of laughter for others.

Our classification fits the latter

and I laugh with my friends as we stalk the night.

We return home after our night of fun.

The hour has turned nine.

Our loot lies on the ground before us in piles,

and we distribute it evenly.

Most of it is pilfered goods.

Each year, our treasures dwindle,

and finding prey gets harder.

I guess Halloween is dying,

its old patrons growing older and the young staying home.

Halloween is a tradition fading away,

its years are numbered and few.

How many more years before it’s gone,

and the night of laughter is over?

[TABLE OF CONTENTS, LHS CLASS OF 2011 EDITION]