Welcome to the Saturday before Halloween! Wondering what spooky things I have in store for you? Well I am in a comedic frame of mind today so I thought we would have some fun at the expense of the spooks!
We’ve written from the perspective of monsters. And we’ve written for atmosphere and for mood. Sometimes dark and sometimes light.
The mood I’d like us to reach for, while think of Halloween spooks, horror movies, scary books and haunts is one of darker comedy. What if they were real, and not so scary? What if they showed up at our house or work?
Some people fear zombies, and ghouls. They don’t scare me, I’ve seen the Wal-Mart people. Have some fun – pick a local haunt or legend and give it a comedic twist.
The sign, Elm Street, is on a handle. Resting on my father-in-law’s barn roof. He uses it as a snow scraper to keep the snow from getting too heavy on it in the winter. I burst out laughing when I saw it. From the horror of Freddy to the ignoble end on a barn roof. How absurd!
Elm Street
Creaking up the stairs they came.
Clawed feet scraping each riser.
Jaws clenched aching to bite.
Eyes narrowed down tight.
I’m sleeping sound now.
Everyone tucked in.
I hear it coming
and I have to
smile.
Heavy breathing at the foot of my bed.
Drool hitting the floor in juicy splats.
I can imagine blood pooling too.
Yawning I rise, and stare it up
and look it down and say
“Wrong house! Again!”
and “Clean up too!”
A whimper and
a whine as it
goes to find
someone
who is
afraid.
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Hi – I love monsters of all kind. Writing about them make them less scary. I’m at dinner with friends so I get back later…
claudia said:
hmmm….dinner with friends sounds great… have fun…
brian miller said:
friends for dinner would fit better with the theme…ha
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Ha.. yes tasty BarBQ :-I
shanyns said:
BBQ sounds better than getting farm supplies! 🙂 We did get to see some team penning though. I’m here and will be reading this evening. Thanks for joining in!
claudia said:
smiles… very cool idea to have a little bit of spooky fun in the pub… i went for the gargoyles at the basel münster cathedral and the autumn fun trade fair that takes place in basel right now…. always fun to go for a ride on the ferris wheel… you just have a breath taking view across all three countries…
shanyns said:
Thanks Claudia! Gargoyles are cool – can’t wait to read your piece! That sounds like a huge ferris wheel!
claudia said:
….oh… and can i borrow the elm street snow scraper… ? smiles… way cool…
shanyns said:
If you want the real one come to Canada and I’ll get it for you. If just the photo help yourself! 🙂
Martin Shone said:
Well, the poem I have added here was written about, well never mind that. You’re email popped up so here it is.
Martin Shone said:
Your… not you’re!!! Too much ale!
claudia said:
cheers… smiles
brian miller said:
um, so are you sharing martin? that way we can all say you’re and know no different….
shanyns said:
🙂
brian miller said:
ha. i had a little bit of fun with this one shanyn….
that trade fair sounds pretty fun claudia….how cool seeing all three countries as well…
claudia said:
can you write another haiku for us…? smiles
brian miller said:
DA-naNuGh! gHaAirG
FignargggH urp
taGGGa ClaDia!
sorry, zombies have a hard time pronouncing the ‘au’ sound in your name claudia…smiles…..hahaha
claudia said:
haha – oh they do – they do… smiles
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Could we have a zombie sonnet… can they do meter?
shanyns said:
Glad you had fun Brian! 🙂 That’s what it is all about!
aprille said:
Hiya all, scary times already, earlier than expected 🙂
I’ll be around for visiting a little later. Guests for dinner. I shall train them to do the washing up later so I have a moment
brian miller said:
haha. if that works i want to know your training regimen….
claudia said:
smiles…have fun with your dinner guests aprille…so what’s on the menu…? i might join and would also offer to do the dishes afterwards…smiles
aprille said:
Venison with my all-time favourite dish: cauliflower mash with peppers and tomatoes. I could and do eat that just about every other day. I thank the day I discovered the steamer. Took me long enough.
shanyns said:
Be sure to share your guest sharing technique with us! 🙂
lupitatucker said:
Had a little fun with this one. I always like Poe’s poem “The Bells,” so I went with that. Thanks Shanyn!
brian miller said:
def could feel a little poe in there…and what a way to go eh?
lupitatucker said:
It’s a prison of our own making, LOL. The thing he loves the most, his nemesis in the end. I can’t help but think that’s hilarious 🙂
brian miller said:
(slides to the other end of the pub)
yep, hilarious.
ha.
shanyns said:
Nothing wrong with a little Poe (or a lot!)
janehewey said:
i love this perspective! great prompt, Shanyn.
shanyns said:
Thanks Jane! I try to be as far away from the ‘box’ we are all supposed to get out of as possible… 🙂
Laurie Kolp said:
Sorry mine’s not funny, but it does involve ghosts.
brian miller said:
hey you…either way i am glad to see you…
hugs
Grace said:
Hugs Laurie ~
shanyns said:
Good that you are here Laurie, and thanks for sharing your ghosts!
Grace said:
Well I tried light & fun ~ Wishing you all happy weekend ~
shanyns said:
Thanks for playing! 🙂
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Bedtime.. good poems so far… Goodnight friends.
brian miller said:
sleep well…will talk to the zombies tonight about your sonnet…ha
freyathewriter said:
Such fun! It’s great fun to give the dark side their come-uppance 🙂
brian miller said:
hope you dont get blown away out there on the coast…smiles.
freyathewriter said:
Still here… just!
shanyns said:
They have it coming, don’t they? 🙂
anmol(alias HA) said:
I love monsters… especially the mythological ones. The others have actually been made a joke of, if truth be considered, by having given them romantic identities. They were meant to scare but now they are romancing in the books and movies.
Great prompt… and that poem is lovely. One’s own fear can be terrible but when you do not fear the one who is beneath your bed, he/she isn’t there. 🙂
-HA
anmol(alias HA) said:
And thanks a lot for submitting the link to my site. 🙂
shanyns said:
I’m finally here – our plans went wild today! 😀 But it’s all good in the haunted hood. Can’t wait to see what you’ve all shared!
Boo!
brian miller said:
yay…welcome on shanyn….cant wait to see what you have in store for us as well…smiles…enjoyed your elm street….
Ginny Brannan said:
Are only ghouls and goblins welcome, or would a bit of Vincent Price-like murder and mayhem be allowed?? Got an early one written all in fun that hasn’t ever been shared, thinking of pulling it out of the cobwebs for this!
brian miller said:
oo i like vincent price as well…smiles….haha…on my way over ginny
Ginny Brannan said:
One of my all time scary movie memories was seeing him in House of Wax. (Creeped me right out! Just hearing that voice and you know something deliciously evil is about to happen!!
Thanks for hosting Shanyn. Really enjoying reading what everyone has to share!
shanyns said:
Got my poem up, and I have to find a photo for Brian…will share on Twitter!
brian miller said:
heh…picture eh? smiles.
shanyns said:
Oh yeah.
kkkkaty1 said:
Hi Shanyn,
Couldn’t come up with anything today from the funny bone, so made a little story instead…even the poetry isn’t coming to me today…fun prompt, though, thanks.
brian miller said:
nice blend of stories in there kkkkaty
shanyns said:
I like what you brought – thanks for joining in!
shanyns said:
I will see who came by in the night to share some spooky laughs with us in the morning…until then have a GREAT night!
Imelda said:
Thanks for this fun take, Shanyn. 🙂 My monster was lifted from Philippine lore.
brian miller said:
that was pretty cool..you taught me something, i did not know your legend before….hoping he does not get a pink slip…smiles…
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Yeah.. I should have lifted one from the Nordic lore…
shanyns said:
Maybe we’ll have to do that one day – local haunts!
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
I wrote one about the Neck a while ago ….
shanyns said:
I love that you brought us a new haunt to meet! 🙂
gailatthefarm said:
Your blog is so much fun. Thanks for allowing me to play!
claudia said:
smiles…glad you played gail
shanyns said:
Thanks for coming to play!
Ella said:
Hi Shanyn! I live not to far away from a Sleepy Hollow sign. Perhaps I will snap a photo tomorrow and revamp the legend~ 😀 What a great challenge~
claudia said:
that would be way cool…
shanyns said:
That would be totally cool Ella! 😀
rosross said:
Halloween has never been an Australian tradition although in recent years it has made occasional and minor appearances. Children love it and given how many traditions Australians have taken on board – including Chinese New Year – I am sure this one will find a place. Ironically, Halloween is a strong European and Scottish tradition and yet despite these major groups for early and later settlement, they never brought the tradition with them. Perhaps too much bright and glorious sunshine in October for ghouls and spooks to endure.
shanyns said:
My friends down under have told me the same – it is interesting that even though we don’t have halloween around the world, we always have local haunts and spooks! 🙂
Susan said:
I had another stanza in here saying “let go and let God,” but I decided it was too serious and I’d leave it up to the reader. Thanks for the fun prompt. I’ll be back to read. I really like your examples and suggestions.
shanyns said:
🙂 Glad you came and played!
brian miller said:
just got back from church…got a little catching up to do…smiles…
Maggie Grace said:
At first I automatically deleted this topic, but this morning my mind starting writing Dr. Seuss style…kinda sorta. Hope you like it.
brian miller said:
ha its funny i just left a comment that yours reminded me of seuss…smiles.
shanyns said:
I loved it! Thanks so much for joining in!
shanyns said:
Thanks everyone for joining in, this was great! I’m so excited to be on dTeam and a part of this awesome community. I have some fun and challenging Poetics in the slow cooker brewing away…muahahahahahaha