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Happy Halloween

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Haunted Houses ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

All houses wherein men have lived and died
Are haunted houses. Through the open doors
The harmless phantoms on their errands glide,
With feet that make no sound upon the floors.

We meet them at the door-way, on the stair,
Along the passages they come and go,
Impalpable impressions on the air,
A sense of something moving to and fro.

There are more guests at table than the hosts
Invited; the illuminated hall
Is thronged with quiet, inoffensive ghosts,
As silent as the pictures on the wall.

The stranger at my fireside cannot see
The forms I see, nor hear the sounds I hear;
He but perceives what is; while unto me
All that has been is visible and clear.

We have no title-deeds to house or lands;
Owners and occupants of earlier dates
From graves forgotten stretch their dusty hands,
And hold in mortmain still their old estates.

The spirit-world around this world of sense
Floats like an atmosphere, and everywhere
Wafts through these earthly mists and vapours dense
A vital breath of more ethereal air.

Our little lives are kept in equipoise
By opposite attractions and desires;
The struggle of the instinct that enjoys,
And the more noble instinct that aspires.

These perturbations, this perpetual jar
Of earthly wants and aspirations high,
Come from the influence of an unseen star
An undiscovered planet in our sky.

And as the moon from some dark gate of cloud
Throws o’er the sea a floating bridge of light,
Across whose trembling planks our fancies crowd
Into the realm of mystery and night,—

So from the world of spirits there descends
A bridge of light, connecting it with this,
O’er whose unsteady floor, that sways and bends,
Wander our thoughts above the dark abyss.

As the day goes past, pumpkins will transform into Jack-o-Lanterns, candy will appear in scary bowls awaiting the eager hands of little ghouls and goblins, and darkness will fall on yet another All Hallows Eve.

I hope your day, and night, is filled with safe yet scary spooks and frights.

Happy Halloween dear friends.

13 thoughts on “Happy Halloween”

  3. Happy Halloween to you!
    Off to trick or treat with the kids, should be fun.

    Love the poem, and the photo is quite cool!

  5. Those Jack-o-Lanterns are incredible, as is the poem.

    Carl V., may The Great Pumpkin make a special trip to your house this Halloween! 🙂

  7. Nymeth: Same to you! I hope all is going well with you in your latest adventure.

    Susan: Wish I could take credit for those, but that is just an image I stole from google. We did some pretty cool ones though and are just waiting for it to get dark so we can light them up.

    Deslily: We wish the same to you!

    Ibeeg: Hope your kids score big! Happy Halloween to your family.

    Bibliophile: You are very welcome, thanks for participating and congrats on completing the challenge.

    Richard: Happy Halloween to you and your wife.

  10. Monday Nov. 1st.. ACK!!! I can’t believe you missed 600 reviews by just TWO!!!!!

    I’ll have you know I have come to really enjoy RIP. Never did I think I would love gothic mysteries so much, so I thank you, Carl, for many books I have enjoyed over the last 3 RIP challenges!!!!

  11. Aw, happy BELATED Halloween to you Carl!!! Sorry I missed you yesterday! Hope you had a fantastic one!!

  13. Debi: It was a really enjoyable day, and night. Hope your family had the same.

    Chris: No worries, a belated Happy Halloween to you as well my friend.

    Deslily: If I had finished a couple of books a little early we would’ve hit 600!!! It always makes me feel extremely happy when I read your reviews and see you discovering new books that you might not otherwise have read. As always I am incredibly thankful that you dive right in.

    Jessica: Hope you and yours had a wonderful one as well.

    Iliana: Thanks. Hope you had a great one.

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