On Halloween (Halloween verse # 5)

On Halloween…

(insert child's name)__ saw all of the candy sitting in the bag,
“What’s this for,” ____ asked?
“It’s for trick-or-treaters on Halloween,”
his mother said, “when kids dress up as ghosts or kings
and go door-to-door and say ‘trick-or-treat’
and then they are given some candy to eat.”
“Do I get to go,” _____ then asked?
“If you’re good.” Mother took the candy out of the bag
and placed it in a bowl and gave _____ one,
while they waited for trick-or-treaters to come.

_____ said, “So if I get to go, what will I be,
if I go trick-or-treating this Halloween?”
“Well, how about a ghost,” his mother said,
“we could just throw a sheet up over your head
and cut out some holes so that you can see
and cut out a hole for your nose so that you can breathe
and we can tie a belt, yes, right at the waist
so that when you walk the sheet is not in your way.”

“No,” ____ said, “I don’t think a ghost I shall be,
what else could I be for Halloween?”
“Well,” his mother said, “how about a scarecrow
we can put some paint upon your nose
to make it look like you are made of straw
dressed in an old shirt and overalls
and you can try to look old, like a scarecrow would be
if you want to be a scarecrow on Halloween.”

“No, not a ghost and not a scarecrow will I be,
is there anything else I could be on Halloween?”
“Well,” his mother said as she put a finger next to her eye,
“you can be anything you want to be on Halloween night.
What about a pirate or a sailor or king,
what about a dog or a cat or an angel with wings,
what about a farmer or doctor or pig,
or a baseball player or a clown with a wig?”

“Do I go alone,” _____ asked as he scratched his head?
“No, you can’t go alone,” his mother said,
“you are still too small, too little to go alone,
I would go with you if you go home-to-home
and ask for candy and say ‘trick-or-treat’
if you go out this Halloween.”
“Do you get dressed up,” _____ then asked with a grin.
“Not anymore,” she laughed, “but I did way back when
when I was just a young little child
I would go trick-or-treating on Halloween night.”

“What about this candy that you brought home in this bag?
Who will eat it if I go trick-or-treating,” _____ asked.
“Trick-or-treaters will come and knock on our door
and I’ll give them some candy, and then there will come more,
and I’ll give them more candy until the candy is gone
but if there is some left, then we can eat some.
But, there will be candy for all to eat,
if you go trick-or-treating, you will bring home a bag full of treats.”

“Can I get dressed up and just stay here with you
and give away candy and eat some of it too?”
“Well of course you can, if you want to.
I would love to have Halloween help from you
and we’ll give away candy and see all the kids
dressed up in costumes, we will guess which is which,
and we’ll eat some candy and laugh with all of our might
as we give away candy on Halloween night.”

And that year ____ stayed home to help out his mom
to hand out Halloween candy, and he had lots of fun.
“May be next year,” he said, “when I’m bigger than I am now
I’ll go trick-or-treating dressed as a cat or a mouse.
But, this year I’m little and I am glad I stayed home
handing out Halloween candy and helping my mom.
But, next year, who knows what I shall dress up to be
because you can be anything on Halloween.”