October's Party

October gave a party

The leaves by hundreds came

The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples

And leaves of every name.

The Sunshine spread a carpet

And everything was grand,

Miss Weather led the dancing,

Professor Wind the band.

George Cooper

"It was a small town by a small river.


The town was full of trees.

And dry grass now that autumn was here.

And full of fences to walk on and sidewalks to skate on and a large ravine to tumble in and yell across.

And it was the afternoon of Halloween.

And all the houses shut against a cool wind.

And the town full of cold sunlight.

But suddenly, the day was gone.

Night came out from under each tree and spread.

Behind the doors of all the houses there was a scurry of mouse feet,muted cries, flickerings of light.

The wind outside nested in each tree,

prowled the sidewalks in invisible

treads like unseen cats.

Anyone could see that the wind

was a special wind this night,

and the darkness took on a special feel

because it was All Hallows' Eve.

Everything seemed cut from soft black velvet.

Smoke panted up out of a thousand chimneys

like the plumes of funeral parades.

From kitchen windows drifted two pumpkin smells:gourds being cut, pies being baked.

Attics were still being rummaged, old locks broken,

old steamer chests disemboweled for costumes.

The wind came a seized a thousand dark leaves

and blew them away up over the sky..."

from The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

For a list of all the houses with their porch lights on in honor of this autumnal celebration, please let the wind carry you over to visit our enchanting hostess

~Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist~