The Deads
Nicole is hanging out with friends
one boring Halloween
when she suggests "let's see the deads"
(the graveyard, she does mean).
She tells them that it's been awhile
since she has been for lunch;
they look at her with pity smiles
and wonder if she's touched.
She realizes her mistake
and goes on to explain:
her mom would pack a picnic case
and grab a thick wool cape-
then off to see the deads they went,
conversing while they ate;
as long as they were reverent,
mom said they would be safe.
The friends relax; they don their coats
and then head for the graves
while dodging little bats and ghosts,
the treating underway.
The graveyard gate is chained and locked
to thwart shenanigans,
so through the hedges they do slog-
a thorny garrison.
Nicole is shocked when friends raise hell;
their fresh-cut scratches bleed
all over stones with disrespect-
she begs them to pay heed.
But, they ignore her warning cries
and start to topple stones;
she's helpless as the spirits rise,
disturbed by teenaged rogues.
Her friends are slaughtered visciously
by cemetery shades;
the horror plays out visibly,
despite the moonlight fade.
Each girl is entered by a mist
which suddenly bursts free,
exploding with a forceful hiss;
now guts adorn the trees.
No piece of them is left intact;
their blood cells form a fog
that gags Nicole; she stumbles back,
her muscles stiff with shock.
When mom's soft voice pervades the air,
her tears begin to fall-
and mingled with the fresh despair
is love that death can't halt.
"My baby girl, you've done me proud:
you were not insolent;
you stayed polite on hallowed ground,
retained your innocence.
I miss you more than you could know,
but it's not your time just yet-
so run back home to Dad and throw
your arms around his neck
and whisper this into his ear:
'Mom loves you still and will...
forever and a day, my dear;
a bond like yours can't wilt.'"
Not one to disobey her mom,
Nicole heads home at once
to tell her dad what happened on
this night of fights and stunts.