a little witch
she leaves behind
a trail of candy wrappers

trick or treat
tinder matching
with a classroom crush

demon girl
one day of the year
without my costume

Morgan Bode (4)

Halloween party invites
I slip into
my pajamas

Meghan Hayes (9)

I love this haiku because this has been my life for as long as I can remember. The idea of parties often times nauseates me because I cannot do that much socialization all at one time.  Especially now in college, this feeling is real.  I would much rather slip into my pajamas on and watch a spooky movie with snacks and candy than throw on an uncomfortable costume and be near too many sweaty, drunk college students. Madeline Wilson

Halloween party
did I just make out
with a banana?

Alexander Bergland (10)

Halloween party
all I think about is
my Olivia Newton

Michael Hoelting (5)

scandalous costumes
decorate the room
what are you celebrating?

Halloween
when did it become
about being sexy?

sexy nurse
why is my uniform
a costume

pondering costumes
who will you be
tomorrow

the one day of the year
putting on a mask
is praised

costume party
I slap a nametag
on my shirt

your Halloween mask
stays on for
365 days

Jessi Kreder (6)

mardi gras mask
it covers
the mask i always wear

wallet thin
I guess I' ll dress as
a college student

Meghan Hayes (11)

beggars’ night
a child complains
about the coat over his costume

Elizabeth Napier (12)

crisp halloween morning
a valid excuse
to put on my mask

a preschool princess
with a pumpkin basket
when did I get so old?

Elizabeth Napier

To me, Halloween is a perfect reminder of being grown up. I think Halloween is a very fun for younger kids, and the holiday itself is still fun to me, but it is not the same anymore. Halloween now (if I was at home) consists of eating chili with my family and handing out candy to young kids. As a young kid, it was much more fun to run around the neighborhood on a school night and collect as much candy as possible. This haiku was a perfect summary of how we are grown now, and those memories of dressing up for the holiday are in our past. Tori Stuart, Fall 2019

I loved this haiku because I think we are all in this weird state of being basically adults, but being close enough to children that we remember what it was like to dress up for trick-or-treating. I can remember dressing as Jessie from Toy Story when I was 3 and going out with my dad and our neighbors like it was yesterday. I ask myself often how I got to be so old. This haiku hit home with me. I loved it. Meghan Hayes, Fall 2019

I thought this haiku was so simple yet so real. I have thought this exact same thing many times over the last couple years; this thought especially occurs during holidays like Halloween. The imagery of the little girl walking around with her basket full of candy and her cute little princess outfit makes it easy to picture the moment because it is such a common occurrence. Whenever I look at kids in their costumes, I think about how old I've gotten in comparison to them and it is such an odd feeling, but a very valid one. In actuality, I am not that old, but I feel a lot older because I don't go around to each house trick or treating anymore like this little girl in the haiku gets to do. It is such a real-life haiku and that is why it is one of my favorites. Joel Ochoa, Fall 2019

trick or treat!
oh god . . .
I forgot to buy candy

Gillian Genardo

I really liked this haiku because that would be the absolute worst is forgetting candy for the kids. Like you know the kids are going to be out soon and so you are chilling and waiting for them to arrive to only remember you forgot to buy them candy.  This is one of those small fears of being an adult because you don't want to be those mean people on the street. Honestly I would just start handing out random stuff in my house for those kids. Michael Hoelting, Fall 2019

bowl of candy
we wait for superheroes
and princesses

Victoria Stuart

I just really think that this haiku is adorable. I love waiting for trick or treaters whenever I am at home. It is one of my mom and I's favorite things to do. I love seeing all of the cute little kids and their costumes. It takes me back to simpler times. It also gives me a bit of baby fever. I don't get to do this tradition of waiting for the children with my mom anymore because I am away at school. I really do miss doing this with my mom. Cassie Reed, Fall 2019

​I really liked this haiku! One of my favorite parts about Halloween is seeing all of the little kids dressed up as their idols—which are normally princesses and superheroes. I love answering the door, seeing all of the kids, and complimenting them on their costumes. Their smiles and faces just brighten and I think it’s one of the cutest things. I also like this haiku because it reminds me of Halloweens from years ago with my sisters. I think, at least once, my sisters and I were all princesses. I was Snow White one year and in other years, both of my little sisters went as Sleeping Beauty. This haiku just brought up those memories and it made me smile. Gillian Genardo, Fall 2019

candy
much too sweet for me
all grown up

little dinosaur
so cute
even the ghosts giggle

Madeline Wilson (10)

brisk night
dressed up
children run and giggle

he grabs her little hand
as they cross the street
for more treasures

Joel Ochoa (11)

I think this haiku shows how special Halloween is to little kids. I remember being a little kid that was so excited to see all the special decorations and costumes. I loved Halloween because dressing up allowed my friends and I to be something we had always wanted to be, and it was an excused to eat a ton of candy. I really enjoy the wording “for more treasures” because it shows how valued the night is to little kids. The candy is so special and it is taken very seriously, even by the littlest of kids. Jessi Kreder

I see
that empty smile
carved pumpkin

wind whistles
through the leaves of trees
a child’s laughter

Gillian Genardo (9)

family corn maze
where I am
doesn’t matter

Ben Kuxmann

smashed beneath
his foot
a pumpkin massacre

Elizabeth Napier (9)

a hand
to hold
through a pumpkin patch

Maddie Curtin (6)

jack - o - lantern smile
her face
glows in the dark

Elizabeth Napier (14)

the littlest vampire
knocks
at my door

Gillian Genardo (6)

blood-red leaf
twirls
in crisp October air

Gillian Genardo (9)

lopsided grin
my sad attempt
at pumpkin carving

forever wishing
I was matching costumes
with you

Cassandra Reed (6)

halloween breakup
your new costume:
single

“it’s over,” I told him
freedom
on halloween night

bye bye boy
2 years, over.
this candy is just for me

scary movie
an excuse
to lean against you

Gillian Genardo (6)

horror movie
what a perfect excuse
to hold you closer

Elizabeth Napier (5)

I am such a sucker for horror movies and my boyfriend. This October, we became engrossed in watching a new scary movie every night, whether it was an 80's slasher film or a documentary about an apocalypse. We had a groove we fell into, too. I don't like the scary bloody parts that happen in horror movies, so I bury my head into my boyfriend's shoulder and he lets me know when it's over. It's a nice plan we have, and a good excuse to cuddle. Maddie Curtin, Fall 2019

I really liked the simplicity of this haiku. It is clear that the subject really loves the person they are holding closer. I liked how instead of holding them close, they are holding them closer than before. It makes the poem feel more intimate than it would have been if the last line were just “to hold you close”. Horror movies turn into chances to be romantic when you are in a relationship. This poem made me think about holding my girlfriend as close to me as possible while we watch a scary movie that she can't stand. Jon Kuebler, Fall 2019

what is colder
the night
or your heart

that night
“we need to talk”
my spookiest

Rebecca Jaffe (7)

halloween blind date
will you be the trick
or the treat

creak of a swing set
in the howling wind
the witching hour

Charlize Pate (11)

frozen in a blanket
a power outage cuts off
the horror movie

horror movie
I like the gory parts but
she wants to kiss

Morgan Bode (3)

in the dark
I feel her touch
no reply

Michael Hoelting (7)

a skeleton rests in a field
too many bones
to be human

John DeAngelo (11)

dense swamp forest
echo of the puddle splash
it found them

John DeAngelo (7)

I enjoy this haiku because John decided to go all out with the spookiness. If you’re going to write a Halloween poem, do it right! I imagine that I am at the bayou in my hometown, New Orleans. Perhaps there are some naive tourists on a late-night swamp tour. They are enjoying themselves, marveling at the swamp on this typical tourist attraction. However, something not-so-typical is lurking underneath the muddy swamp waters. The tourists are never seen again... It’s fascinating how a short collection of words can tell such a compelling story! Rebecca Jaffe, Fall 2019

I tell daddy
check for monsters under the bed—
he never comes back up

Elizabeth Napier (9)

a mother chokes his neck
the scariest demons
are never from hell

John DeAngelo (8)

last alive
at the door
                a knock

Michael Hoelting

I like this haiku because it reminds me of many Halloween nights I had as a child. My brothers, friends, and I always tried to be out as late as possible on Halloween to get as much candy as possible. It was also just a great time being out in the dark running around town with my friends and enjoying all the other costumes around. Once we would get back to my house and started dividing and trading the treasures, we were always surprised to hear more knocks at our door. We were even jealous that some kid had stayed out later than us. I also appreciate the spacing in the final line of the haiku. Having “a knock” separate adds to the suspense of the haiku and I can appreciate it. Ben Kuxmann, Fall 2019

empty campus
a leaf blows
across the quad

clotted blood
she takes a sip
too thick for her taste

John DeAngelo (5)

solitary walk down the street
a singular red balloon
floats