Halloween Night

by Jennifer Luckenbill

The Oklahoma wind
whistles its quiet tune
outside the window,
smooth as butter
on freshly browned toast.
Music to drown
the thumps and bumps
of a late Halloween night.

Whispered melodies
too soft for the ear,
breaking the wall
between body and spirit,
between living and dead.

No costumed faces
at this hour
to scare away the spirits,
so they press faces against windows,
the ghost equivalent
of puppy-dog eyes,
begging for the warmth of the living
to press against their bodies,
a moment’s feeling,
there and gone.

About the author…

Jennifer Luckenbill is a freelance writer, editor, and artist currently living in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She has master’s degrees in women’s literature and library science. She has been published in journals such as Red River Review, Mused, Black Heart Magazine, and Words Dance. Her story “Roar: A Trio of Shorts” was a finalist for Sundress Best of the Net Anthology for 2013.