Hanalei Halloween
by Jennifer Lagier
All Hallow’s Eve on Kauai — women in cat’s ears and whiskers,
a harem girl’s outfit, pool boys dressed like the devil.
A Grateful Dead skeleton riffs beneath red bandana.
His stage—a carved pumpkin perched upon a faux cow skull.
Bat wings stretch, poised for flight within scarlet scarab.
Love beads wrap the base of a gravestone.
Candy corn, bed sheet ghosts, eight-legged plastic spiders.
I take refuge on the lanai, treat myself to a mai tai.
AUTHOR’S PHOTO CAPTION: Selfie in Halloween Mask, 2015.
AUTHOR’S PHOTO CAPTION: When I saw this assemblage in the lobby of the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort on Halloween 2014, I knew I had to write a poem and take a photo.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jennifer Lagier has published ten books of poetry and internationally in a variety of literary magazines and anthologies. Her latest book, Where We Grew Up, was just issued by FutureCycle Press. She taught with California Poets in the Schools, co-edits the Homestead Review, maintains web sites for Homestead Review, Monterey Poetry Review, Ping Pong Literary Journal, misfitmagazine and helps coordinate monthly Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Second Sunday readings. Website: jlagier.net.
Silver Birch Press 