Sunday, 29 October 2017

Jack o' Lantern

Samhain, Night of the Dead, All Hallow's Eve, Halloween, call it what you will. A scary time when ghouls and ghosts return to earth. However, for many an enigmatic time when our parallel worlds a-line for a short while so we may reconnect with passed souls.

Jack o' Lantern

Jack o’ Lantern sits on the old oak sill;
scary hollowed eyes blaze orangey bright.
Circle cast with hawthorn, and all is still,
even-tide folds to the darkening night.

A soul long passed we'll merry meet once more
and ride as one on the winds of winter;
the biting chill, no match; for love will thaw.
Jack o’ Lantern wards dark spirits thither.

And now the time is nigh to bid goodbye,
we’ll meet again on the wheel’s full turn.
So the sun rises in the eastern sky
Jack o’ Lanterns eyes, dead, no longer burn. 

 Now Jack o' Lantern your work is complete
back to Will-o-the Wisp on the bogs of peat.

© Julian Clarke 2017

 Notes
A new piece I penned for this season and is loosely inspired by Irish mythology.

Linked to Poets United Sunday Pantry

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19 comments:

  1. Thotpurge29 October 2017 at 09:39

    All the flavour of the season!

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  2. Anonymous29 October 2017 at 11:07

    the rhythm is spellbinding! marvellously mythological and seasonal
    "A soul long passed we'll merry meet once more
    and ride as one on the winds of winter;"

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  3. Richard Fleming29 October 2017 at 12:21

    I think "we'll meet again on the wheel's full turn" is a great line, Julian. A well-timed poem for Halloween.

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  4. Sumana Roy29 October 2017 at 14:12

    Nice Halloween celebration here. Lovely.

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  5. Sherry Blue Sky29 October 2017 at 15:27

    I love the rhythm of this poem, can see the pumpkin in all his glory, then, next day cast away on the peat bogs. I always love to see them, grinning from odd places, after halloween.

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  6. brudberg29 October 2017 at 15:47

    Love this in sonnet format, and that end with the will-o-the-wisps (that some call corpselight is wonderful)

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  7. John Buchanan29 October 2017 at 16:28

    This is a cracking write Julian, took me back to the more traditional Halloweens we celebrated as kids.

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  8. Dr. Vandana Sharma29 October 2017 at 16:35

    Life to a full circle

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  9. Gillena Cox29 October 2017 at 16:48

    "even-tide folds to the darkening night."

    My favourite line

    Have a nice Sunday Julian

    Much💖love...

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  10. Mary29 October 2017 at 18:21

    Ah, the jack-o-lantern indeed has a short season....its eyes 'burning' for a very short time! But a necessity in the dead of a Halloween night! I enjoyed this, Julian.

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  11. indybev29 October 2017 at 19:11

    I absolutely love this tribute to the Jack-o-Lantern and All Hallows Eve! Well written.

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  12. Donna@LivingFromHappiness29 October 2017 at 20:30

    Julian I really love this Halloween poem....like an eerie song, with haunting laughter! Really first rate...

    'And now the time is nigh to bid goodbye,
    we’ll meet again on the wheel’s full turn.
    So the sun rises in the eastern sky
    Jack o’ Lanterns eyes, dead, no longer burn.'

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  13. Wendy Bourke29 October 2017 at 21:15

    Wonderfully written! Such a deft touch with just-the-right-words to make the piece 'pop'. Great job on the rhyme. A pleasure to read.

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  14. Truedessa29 October 2017 at 21:23

    It is that time of year thank you for your Jack o' Lantern poem.

    Jack o’ Lantern sits on the old oak sill;
    scary hollowed eyes blaze orangey bright.

    they really can be a bit scary, at least I think so.

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  15. Marja30 October 2017 at 05:15

    "even-tide folds to the darkening night" love that one I don't know much about Halloween but really got into the spirit of it in you poem.

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  16. Gillena Cox30 October 2017 at 11:11

    Delightfully scary!!!
    Thanks for linking to Monday WRites

    much love...

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  17. Cressida de Nova31 October 2017 at 00:26

    The rhyme works.You have set the mood for all souls day.

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  18. Marian1 November 2017 at 17:30

    This is really a wonderful sonnet. Plus bonus points for orangey... terrific.

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  19. Magaly Guerrero1 November 2017 at 23:02

    That is a lovely ending for all involved. :-)

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