T’was the All Hallow’s Even, a night cold and dark,
No moon in the sky and no starlight, no spark.
A wild, howling wind chased the clouds with all might.
And no soul to be seen – it was All Hallow’s Night.
A night where you know something is on the prowl,
When even the rain tastes like fear and smells foul.
At the end of a road, on the top of the hill
Stood a house, and its look would sure give you a chill.
The ramshackle quirky old house stood alone,
But high up in a window a single light shone.
And there, in the attic, sat Crazy Old Maud.
Of the night, of the date, the old lady knew naught.
She sat there, sipped her tea, took a bite from her scone,
Smiled her toothless, faint grin, a harmless old crone.
But she wasn’t alone – her beloved Ebenezer,
Her husband, her mate – lay downstairs in the freezer.
Yes, she cared for him, faithfully, day after day,
Served him tea that he never drank, to her dismay.
She pondered that issue when from the front door
Came a sound, came a noise that was hard to ignore.
And groaning and moaning she rose from her chair,
Crept down all the stairs and croaked hoarsely “Who’s there?”
She opened to see two or three beaming faces,
Shining eyes, gaudy colours, a smile flashing braces.
All breathless, exited, they started to tweet:
“Good evening, lady, and TRICK – OR TREAT!”
All squealing and giggling, the kids stood their ground
Maud’s mouth cracked a grin which looked deeply unsound.
“Just a minute, my sweethearts, and I’ll be right back,”
Said the hag, turned around, disappeared in the shack.
A little girl fidgeted, her name was Pattie,
And whispered: “The people, they say that she’s batty!”
They heard searching and rummaging all through the house,
Until Maud reappeared, and brought with her – her spouse.
“Dear kids, let me please introduce my dear hubby,
I’m sorry, the frost made his hair a bit grubby.”
Quite astonished, Old Maud saw the kids scream with fright,
Watched them screeching and fleeing into the cold night.
She hugged Ebenezer and whispered to him:
”The youth of today – come and go at a whim.”
She then turned around, and she carried the head
Back inside, to the freezer, its chilly, rough bed.
Then she finished her tea and her scone with delight
All alone in the attic – on Halloween’s night.