Jack O’Lanterns Grin!
Laughing at all our fears,
we celebrate life.
Movie star? Monster?
Try a new persona for
fantasy and fun!
Red hots, gummy worms,
candy corn…okay today!
Enjoy, enjoy guiltlessly!
Phrases frowned upon,
“Guess who!”, “Trick-or-treat!”, and “Boo!”
bring a smile today.
Be slightly goofy,
gluttonous and boisterous.
Happy Halloween!
Copyright© 2022 by Cheryl Batavia
Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!
So often these days,
I find myself quoting Mom…
proverbs, quips, sayings…
Mom had a real treasure trove
of wisdom she shared with me.
“Treat other people
as you want to be treated.”
That one is golden!
It was Mom who taught me that
reliable guide to life.
Mom was unfailing
in her caring and concern.
She gave great advice,
but, in matters of romance,
was a woman of her time.
Mom’s take on romance
was antiquated sexist
nonsense, best ignored.
Mom’s true advice to follow
was, “Think for yourself, Honey!”
After thirty years,
Dad found a younger woman.
Mom kissed a few frogs;
Prince Charming never came, but
Mom found her inner Princess!
“It’s a man’s world,” was the mid-twentieth-century consensus.
My mother passed several of the following outdated gems along to me:
Always let boys win if you want them to like you.
Act helpless. Let a boy be your hero and lift heavy objects for you.
Play “dumb.” Laugh at all of his jokes. Always agree with him.
Pretend to enjoy doing all the things he likes to do.
Don’t chase after boys. Make them chase after you!
Play hard to get. Never be the first to say, “I love you.”
Hide your passions. You don’t want him to think you’re “easy.”
If you “give in” to a boy, he’ll “dump” you and “kiss and tell.”
Go to college to find a husband, even though you know
you will be a homemaker after you marry.
A woman must never make more money than her husband…
His delicate pride can’t handle it.
Let a man think he’s boss…
Use “feminine wiles” to get what you want.
The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach…
Cook all of his favorite dishes.
Men are like little boys…They like to be told
how handsome, strong, and smart they are.
Make a habit of paying exaggerated compliments to men…
It builds their fragile egos.
Men are unable to control their impulses.
Women must be the guardians of morality.
If a woman wears a short skirt and gets assaulted, it’s her fault.
Sex is something a wife must endure for the sake of her husband.
Fortunately, I never fell for any of this antiquated sexist nonsense!
Sorry, Mom, but I don’t believe in playing games.
I was paying attention when you taught me to be honest and to
“Do unto others as I would have them do unto me.”
With respect to this poem’s dubious advice, I quote Mom,
“You might as well laugh as cry!”
*Cautionary note: Some of the antiquated advice in this poem may appear to work in the short term, but some of it could come back to bite you later! Authentic relationships tend to be based on honesty and mutual respect. How long would you be willing to pretend you are enjoying a food you actually detest? How would you feel if you found out that someone was playing you? Better to be real!
Copyright© 2022 by Cheryl Batavia
Show love to Mothers today and every day! Remember to cherish your mother’s wise advice, but don’t forget to “Think for yourself.” 🙂
At masked balls, Mack, the guests all look a fright!
Look sharp for party-crashing thieves tonight.
A movie star! We can’t arrest Charlie Chaplain!
Now, Sherlock Holmes has seen us watching him.
It’s hard to tell about the yeti; he smells okay!
There’s Cleopatra, wearing a wig, I’d say.
I’m sure Dracula’s no genuine vampire;
he’s with the Queen of Hearts beside the fire.
King Kong, right there, is getting pretty tipsy.
Look how he’s dancing with that buxom gypsy!
Saint Nicholas may be our man, eh Jack?
Let’s go and see what’s in that great big sack.
He’s pinched some fruit and wine off the buffet.
Ho, ho, ho, Santa! No crime in that, I say!
Copyright© 2021 by Cheryl Batavia
This is my attempt at a Halloween Sonnet suggested by Ingrid at experimentsinfiction. Ingrid is sponsoring a Halloween Sonnet Festival. Sonnets are not my forte, but I thought it would be fun to participate. Thank you, Ingrid, for a bit of Halloween fun. 🙂
Thank you to all of those who kindly responded to that test post from WordPress! ❤ It was intended to track down an email of a post that WordPress sent me. The test post was not supposed to be visible. I am sorry for the inconvenience.
Gulf Coast Poet 