HALLOWEEN MEMORIES

Halloween, in St.Louis, when I was a kid,
Back in the fifties, long ago, here's what we did,
We went to every house that had a light lit,
With large grocery bags, so the candy would fit.

We dressed as monsters, witches, and ghosts,
And we would see which one got the most,
Yummy candy, of all shapes and sizes,
And would compare our clever disguises.

My costume was always homemade,
By my Mom, no, we never paid,
For an outfit bought at the store,
To beg candy at everyone's door.

We would cry to the homes, "trick or treat,"
And the people seemed happy to greet,
All the creatures that lurked on their step,
Who had slithered, and limped up, and crept.

Some neighbors would have us come in,
And would say to us all with a grin,
Sing a song, say a poem, tell a joke,
Or no candy we'll put in your poke.

So with red faces and shy,
We would sing a cute song, by and by,
Or recite a short poem, with some fear,
And the neighbors would grin ear to ear.

Sometimes it was windy and cold,
On that Halloween night from of old,
But matter to us, it did not,
Look at all of the candy we got!

My family had kids numbering 6,
We got bags full of treats without tricks,
We dumped them all on Mom's kitchen table,
It's a good thing that table was stable,

Cause a mountain of candy appeared,
And even though this may sound weird,
We could eat what we wanted, the sweetest,
Maybe that's why I have diabetes!

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