Somewhere in the great dry
there exists a ghost town
that rises and falls amid
the shifting sands and tumbleweed
a mirage that comes and goes
yet still very real
to those who’ve seen it

Each of its buildings
whether large or small
short or long
but a chapter in a story
of triumph and tragedy
a life tidily divided
compartmentalized
according to activity
period in a lifespan

There’s only one ghost
who haunts that town
as each building
seems to hold a part of him
while he fruitlessly rattles
his ball and chains
still a prisoner for now
of mortality

And as the legend goes
every October
that ghost town rises and
comes to life again
more visible than ever
as a birthday and Halloween
bring about a multitude
pleasant memories
and the recurring
residual haunting
of a little boy
who once was
but is no more


© 2024

180 hits as of November 2024

10/28/2024

Author's Note: Happy Halloween everyone!

Posted on 10/28/2024
Copyright © 2024 Chris Sorrenti