“The Spooky Season”

Days are shorter now,

pressing dark cheeks to cool window.

And is that a whisper in this October

wind, or maybe a shadow darker than dark

behind me on my way home now?

Ah yes, the season of pumpkins, black cats,

and witch hats stretches out, magical, spooky,

and I remember trick or treating with

my sisters and brothers in Houston—

our brown paper bags hoping, hoping

for treats, and our mom telling us

to let her examine everything before we

gobbled down mini chocolate bars

and my favorite, candy corn.

Yes, even at 58, I still get excited

when on the calendar, the date says

October and I smell woodsmoke in the air,

crush dead leaves underfoot.

James Stansberry

James is a Seattle writer/cancer warrior/psychic/medium

SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).

SHARING STORIES is featured on http://www.northwestprimetime.com, the website for Northwest Prime Time, a monthly publication for baby boomers, seniors, retirees, and those contemplating retirement. The newspaper can be found in the greater Seattle area and other Puget Sound locations. For more information, call 206-824-8600 or visit http://www.northwestprimetime.com. To find other SHARING STORIES articles on this website type “sharing stories” in the search function above.