When I was smalland not so tall
I loved to roam the house
Tip-toe silent as a mouse
Late night was the best
To explore rather than rest
I'd slowly enter each room
Peering into the dusky gloom
Hoping to see what I don't know
Fearing I'd see something glow
My mind full of gory ghostly tales
And Halloween witches with hairy veils
And then one night while being outside
I saw a shape and ran to hide
Watching beyond the french glass door
A ghost floating above the wooden floor
I dashed through the backyard
Scared to death and breathing hard
Ran back into the house
Not quiet as a mouse
Jumped into my parents bed
Screaming "She doesnt have a head"
Gently laughing my parents showed me why
There was hooded coat hanging up to dry
From then on I stayed in bed
No more sneaking at night, instead
I read.
An old photo of me with my mother circa 1943
delightfu1!
ReplyDeleteI love this!
ReplyDeleteI liked how the aabb pattern accentuated the childhood experience and I loved that last stanza.
Very nice job.
I just loved this! :o)
ReplyDeleteHaha, what a lovely tale! I love the rhyming structure you used especially because it just helped to accentuate the childhood innocence.
ReplyDeleteKathe I just love this poem...it is full of wonder and beauty! I think it is one of my favorites of yours! Awesome Magpie!!
ReplyDelete:-)
Good one! I liked it much!
ReplyDeleteA novel interpretation of the picture, and well written.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing it wasn't ghost stories you read! :)
ReplyDeleteJust perfect.. can share in a similar episode..very well done!
ReplyDeleteSuch a fun read it was.. I remember when we were kids, only thing that used to be exciting and worth doing were the ones we were forbidden to do...and all of them were not neccessarily pleasent..
ReplyDeleteBravo! Wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI was totally charmed by this. It bought to mind , as well, an odd memory from my childhood of nighttime, wallpaper, and ghostly light creating scary shapes.
ReplyDeletenicely written!!
ReplyDeletegreat Magpie
Halloween witches with hairy veils
ReplyDeletei loved that image! and the voice of the child, the tiptoe of feet, were really there in the voice and the rhythm of the poem -
nice magpie!
Very cute! And dead on for a little kid.
ReplyDeleteExcellent, I enjoyed this.
ReplyDeleteAs I read on I could see you creeping around, so naughty, but glad it wasn't a 'real' ghost! But wait! You think reading is safe!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit and wise words.
Oh wow, I like this one. Great twist at the end when the ghost turned out to be just a coat hanging there.
ReplyDeleteI was running with you! Good piece!
ReplyDeletecompletely awesome. i love to see something really original come from magpie rather than just describing the photo. love this!
ReplyDeleteI'm reminded of a similar event in my childhood when I got up at night and was scared witless by a coat hanging on the back of a chair!
ReplyDeleteSo charming, Kathe!
ReplyDeleteAh, I hope not for ever?
ReplyDeletechildren need adventures. Although adventures in books can be just as exciting.
Now that is a playful poem... Loved it. Bisous, Love and Light, Sender
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many children have had just such frightening experiences. You captured the child's voice very well.
ReplyDeleteWonderful work! =)
ReplyDelete-Weasel
haha. this brought back memories...mine was a halloween mask my brother had hung on the dresser...and one more got me as well...did not help i had a cemetary in the back yard...nice mag!
ReplyDeleteThat's a child's imagination for you! I can't remember how many times I saw ghouls in the night .. that ended up being shadows or other objects. Great poem!
ReplyDeleteHow fun... great take on this magpie. How many times I did such as this!
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping over at my place. Your input is greatly appreciated.
I giggled! It's a great Magpie. And I feel so so validated that someone else saw a headless vision as I did!
ReplyDeleteNice and attractive--i liked it.
ReplyDeletethis was so wonderful...it brought me right back to my childhood!
ReplyDeleteI too was a chickenhearted thrillseeker :)
Rene
Hahahah.. Kids are such out if the box thinkers... This was such an enchanting nostalgic piece
ReplyDeletenothing like scaring yourself to death as a kid...i remember doing that...bkm
ReplyDeletepleasant!
ReplyDeleteThe more excited the child became, the longer the line.
ReplyDeleteThe excitement was well demonstrated. Boo
hahaha! i wondered what the child read?!
ReplyDeleteA lovely poem, the rhyming is superlative. A delightful romp through a child's ghostly adventure.
ReplyDeleteI love this! My fave so far....!
ReplyDeleteSo much fun. Loved the pace. Really reinforced the steps of a child. Great magpie.
ReplyDeleteClever, I saw everything but a ghost in that picture.
ReplyDeleteChildhood - everything is crisper, charming and innocent.
ReplyDeleteInnocence is something really precious, only to be appreciated once lost.
Wonderful! I love the rhythm, the rhyme, and most of all the little girl (you)--I was with her the whole time. Thank you.
ReplyDeletelovely. exactly the experience of childhood particularly the scary bits.
ReplyDeleteSweet! Imagination is so much fun and thrills.
ReplyDeleteFun tale!
ReplyDeleteOh, they put that coat there on purpose!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorites ....
ReplyDeleteThis is a charming poem. I have experienced such a thing myself. The photo of you as a little one is so precious.
ReplyDelete