GOOD BYE JACK-O-LANTERN

When you carve

your jack-o-lantern

make a face

full of fright.

Do not set it

on the porch steps

and then leave

it over-night.

The javelinas

run by rooting

and they might

take out a bite.

Among themselves

they start fighting.

No more pumpkin

it's gone from sight.

Good bye, Jack-o-lantern.

       Where I live we can't leave pumpkins outside because the javelinas love to eat them.  I guess it must taste like candy to them.  Are there critters in your part of the world that would eat your jack-o-lantern?  OK, so your challenge for today is to write a poem titled, Who Has Been Eating my Pumpkin?  There are lots of possibilities--bugs, worms, birds, even Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater.  (Could the apple in the Garden of Eden have been a pumpkin?)  Have fun deciding whose voice you'll use for this poem.

Coyote Dreams

Coyotes pause in the river bed

to sing a song to the moon.

Their yip, yip, yip,

is a raucous tune.

The pack of coyotes

travels in the wash,

while bats fly by

and elf owls watch.

The javelinas look

for a tasty treat

to fill their

night time dining.

The night air cools

and the songs echo

making memories

of a desert night.

And as I nod to sleep

I hear those songs

rippling through

my dreams.

Good night coyotes.

Good night javelinas.

Good night elf owls and bats.

Good night to us all.

      This poem is a lullaby, because it is one that should be read just before going to sleep.  Can you try writing your own lullaby?  Have fun.