Here's a piece of Old Poetry for Hallowe'en. I am hoping it will inspire you to write something ghostly. It's a fairly simple form so you might consider using it as a model but subsituting someone you know personally for Nancy Hanks, or using the name of someone famous.
Just to give an example, maybe I could write a poem about my grandfather, who died in the early '80s. Maybe I'd have him asking questions about one of his grandchildren, me just to use a random example.
If you can't manage that, feel free to give me a regular ghost story, less than 100 lines, any form that pleases you.
If Nancy Hanks
Came back as a ghost,
Seeking news
Of what she loved most,
She'd ask first
"Where's my son?
What's happened to Abe?
What's he done?"
"Poor little Abe,
Left all alone
Except for Tom,
Who's a rolling stone;
He was only nine
The year I died.
I remember still
How hard he cried."
"Scraping along
In a little shack,
With hardly a shirt
To cover his back,
And a prairie wind
To blow him down,
Or pinching times
If he went to town."
"You wouldn't know
About my son?
Did he grow tall?
Did he have fun?
Did he learn to read?
Did he get to town?
Do you know his name?
Did he get on?"
Stephen Vincent Benet
Just to give an example, maybe I could write a poem about my grandfather, who died in the early '80s. Maybe I'd have him asking questions about one of his grandchildren, me just to use a random example.
If you can't manage that, feel free to give me a regular ghost story, less than 100 lines, any form that pleases you.
If Nancy Hanks
Came back as a ghost,
Seeking news
Of what she loved most,
She'd ask first
"Where's my son?
What's happened to Abe?
What's he done?"
"Poor little Abe,
Left all alone
Except for Tom,
Who's a rolling stone;
He was only nine
The year I died.
I remember still
How hard he cried."
"Scraping along
In a little shack,
With hardly a shirt
To cover his back,
And a prairie wind
To blow him down,
Or pinching times
If he went to town."
"You wouldn't know
About my son?
Did he grow tall?
Did he have fun?
Did he learn to read?
Did he get to town?
Do you know his name?
Did he get on?"
Stephen Vincent Benet
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on November 8
- Rewards: Gold: 400, Silver: 160, Bronze: 130, Honorable mention: 1 people
- Final notes: Fun to read all your spooky entries. Thanks to everyone for entering.
Contest Winners
-
• Commented on by judge. [remove]
-
If Grampa Will
came back as a ghost,• Commented on by judge. [remove] -
It is here that in the air the wind speaks gentle whispers in my ear.
Nothing is quite what it seems to the normal eye, and I am not normal.• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
Gold trophy winner
Silver trophy winner
Bronze trophy winner
Entries [12]
1 - 12 of 12
-
Some reading this
May not believe meby kareneisenlord 91 lines, 15 comments, on Oct 12 3:55 AM 2008. In Contemporary, Contest, Dark, Life, Personal, Spiritual, Haunting, Old House, Halloween
• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
Reaching forth a spirit lost
calling unto you• Commented on by judge. -
Day by day she would come along
The lady draped in redby Dead Lover 23 lines, 3 comments, on Oct 25 11:35 PM• Commented on by judge. -
The dead rising the bodies falling
Fire and brimstone rule the airby Ethereal Bard 21 lines, 14 comments, on Sep 2 7:21 AM 2007• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
Add a comment
Comments
-
i thought there was more to that poem
we read it in elementary school. -
-
I'll check that out when I get a chance. Thanks.
-
Adding your comment:
