Brown, gnarled wood stood reaching up towards heaven,
a goal unreachable for this tree.
Standing in this grim acre of land that the animals avoided.

Warped, dark bark and dead branches surrounded by brown leaves.
Even as the summer heat rose to unbearable levels.
Even as sea gulls swooped overhead, being careful not to land.

Planted a century before on Halloween, at the stroke of midnight.
Planted by dark women, three of them.
Followers of Satan, evil to the core of their very being.

Long condemned by decent folk, long burnt to a crisp on that righteous pyre.
The Halloween tree stands firm and tall even now.
A trail of animal corpses will lead you there.


Hares, rabbits, and stoats with bleached bones,
picked clean by other vermin.
A trail of horror leading to this.

Fifty years previous three men vowed to chop it down.
Not one of them was ever seen again by eyes of man.
Their fate unknown to this day.

As you gaze upon this Halloween tree notice the strong scent
of sulphur.
Notice the strange mist that descends at midnight and the cackle of evil laughter.
Notice the infernal silence that pervades this place.

The Halloween tree stands waiting for something.
What that something is remains unknown.
Darkness descends once more.
Mist and evil obscure it from view.

Until the dawn rises once more and reveals its dark
form and dreaded prospect.

tudor, a great visual, anticipation, dark and spooky... enjoyed! :)

Ta my dear...