Aftermath Poem by Shirley Harrison

Is anyone else frickin glad
to wake up on the morning after Halloween
knowing, you did everything you could
to keep those trick-or-treaters away?

like..
smothering break fluid on the path?
putting honey on the gate handle?

I mean I did everything possible
not to have them grubby little monsters
run up to my door
ringing the bell for sweets
waking Jasper
my fifteen-year-old Jack Russell
surprisingly, this year no one rang
maybe they learnt their lesson last year?

now I shall go wash my drive-way
and hose down my gate
then I'll take Jasper
for a nice long walk
after all, today is a real holiday
It's the day we celebrate the dead

oh, by the way
it's only fifty-four days
until Christmas
now, I have to start loading buckets of water
for the Carol singers
because Jasper loves singing.