The Chicken and the Jack-O-Lantern
Was it fruit or vegetable? It had a smile
not to be trusted. Words with no value
in the morning, a mouth that could bring fourth
some evil things. A Halloween vegetable
character; Jack-O-Lantern preserving
an aura with a light that couldn’t light
an onward path, or cast light on sincere words.
A vegetable has its time, this one turned
to be synthetic, with an ability
to preserve itself, put itself away
for the next Halloween. And now she’s confused
chicken-vane turning outside in the cold wind,
having to cope with harsh changes, pointing,
asking, repeating—what were you? What were you?
Who are you? And what are you? What were you?