October 31, 2001

a poem by Nicole Zelniker

Iwas Dorothy:

checkeddress blue and white

witha Toto in a woven basket

soonto be coated with candy.

Childrenare out there in sheets

andfanged monster makes,

poundingneighborhood doors,

grabbingfistfuls from pumpkin-shaped baskets.

Olderkids, girls in too-tight mini-skirts

andboys in T-shirts

toocool to dress up as teens,

creepfrom the shadows, the most frightening.

Ihated Halloween.

Toomany neighbors to talk to

andtoo much candy to eat

andI’m too tired to do anything about it.

Ibeg my mother to take us

tothe haunted house.

it’sthe only part I love:

Slinkingalong the walls, waiting;

Thehigh school kids

pretendingto be a ghost or a zombie.

Iran, horrified and amazed

and told my friends later that I wasn’t scared at all.

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