A happy Halloween from The Planet to all of our members and readers! In celebration of this Hallow’s Eve, a little treat (or trick, depending on your POV) for you:

The Craven (with apologies to Edgar Allan Poe)

Once upon a midday dreary, while I Tivoed, tweaked and bleary,
Over many a quaint and curious newscast of political war,
While I bought it, nearly lapping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my condo door.
” ‘Tis some Marxist,” I muttered, “tapping at my condo door;
Only this, and nothing more.”

Presently my fear grew stronger; I had wet my Barcolounger,
“Witch,” said I, “or black man , truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is, I was wacking, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my condo door,
That I’m scared was sure, I fear you.” Here I opened wide the door;—
Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word,
“Ignore”, This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word,
“Ignore!” Merely this, and nothing more.

Back into the condo turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping, something louder than before,
“Surely,” said I, “surely, that is some gay wanting in my mattress.
Let me see, then, what threat is, and this mystery explore.
Let my heart be still a moment, and this mystery explore.
” ‘Tis the wind, and nothing more.”

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a glare and mutter,
In there stepped a stately Muslim, of the Arab days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But with mien of lord or lady, leaned beside my condo door.
Leaned beside a bust of Palin, just beside my condo door,
Leaned, then sat, and nothing more.

Then this Boehner-toned man beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
“Though thy head be shorn and shaven now,” I said, “art sure no Bagger,
Ghastly, grim, and ancient Muslim, wandering from the corner store.
Tell me who the terror group is in your nice Arabian store.”
Quoth the Muslim, “Just ignore.”

Thus I sat engaged in terror, with no Life Alert an error
To the fiend, whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;
This and more I sat divining, without my best teabags (Twinings),
On the Deere cap’s velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o’er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o’er
He shall press, ah, just ignore!

“Heathen!” said I, “thing of evil–bomber still, if man or devil!
By that heaven that bends above us–by that God we both adore–
Tell this soul with racist-like views, if, within the latest Fox News,
I shall hear an insane attack , which you tell me to ignore—
I’m a scared and gullible cretin, whom you’ve told to fear no more?
Quoth the Muslim, “Just ignore.”

“Be those words our sign of parting, man or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting–
“Get thee back into the tempest and the nice Arabian store!
Leave no reason as a token of that lie my Beck hath spoken!
Leave my mindlessness unbroken! — quit the bust beside my door!
Take thy sense from out my heart, and take thy form from near my door!”
Quoth the Muslim, “Just ignore.”

And the Muslim, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
Near the pallid bust of Palin just beside my condo door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a Muslim’s that is dreaming.
And the lamplight o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my mind from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be enlightened? Nah, just ignore!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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choicelady
Member

Oh my, AdLib – NO apologies needed to EAP. He’d have bowed in deep respect for your adLibaptation. MARVELOUS!!!!!

Questinia
Member

Fabulous!

PatsyT
Member

Mothra vs Godzilla
httpsh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bhoWfC1L9k

PatsyT
Member

Twilight Zone… Talking Tina or is it Talky Tina?
httpsh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSy8Ko1vSKQ

PatsyT
Member

This is ironic …. The scariest Haunted House is in Arizona!
http://www.frightened.com/

kesmarn
Admin

Would that be the Governor’s mansion?

Pepe Lepew
Member

28 Days Later:

Pepe Lepew
Member

Smiley

Happy Halloween

Smiley

PatsyT
Member

The Haunting 1963

httpsh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlj9oSVNIXM&NR=1

Mightywoof
Member

Oh my gosh – this was the scariest movie I have ever seen!!! …. especially when Julie Harris asked “whose hand was I holding?”

bito
Member

You may not believe in ghosts
But you cannot deny terror (fear)

Karl Rove

kesmarn
Admin

Laughing out loud at poetry? Is that allowed? Oh, AdLib, this is marvelous!

So, in view of the fact that — as George Harrison once said — “Imitation is the flattest form of insincerity” I have to take a second look at Poe’s “The Bells,” and wonder how it would play as:

The (Tea) Bags

See the witches with their bags
Tea-filled bags
What a world of prejudice-preaching hags.
How they cackle, cackle, cackle
Hot air blowing day and night
‘Neath that make-up that they spackle
On so thickly, it’s a fright.
Keeping time, time, time
In a sort of Runic rhyme
To folks’ slower pace of thinking
Have to wonder what they’re drinking
Oh those bags, bags, bags, bags,
bags, bags, bags
The ranting and the chanting of the bags.

Haruko Haruhara
Member

Happy Halloween!

Haruko Haruhara
Member

Happy Halloween!

boomer1949
Member

Happy Halloween PlanetPeeps…

whatsthatsound
Member

How Poe-tic, of you!
Delightfully creepy and funny at the same time.