Monday, October 12, 2020

Haunting Season

Autumn. 

 The time when farmers bring in their crops for harvest. Leaves lose their ability to process chlorophyll and the sugars turn them to brilliant shades of color. Trees shed their leaves and bare their limbs to the heavens in preparation for their winter dormancy. Vegetation decay wafts along the breeze, now chilled by the close of summer and the onset of cooler days. Hunters prepare for their annual field trips into the wild to lay up stores of meat for the on-coming winter. Preparations are made for the upcoming festivals and young people return to their usual scholarly activities.

Fireplaces are swept and furnaces cleaned in anticipation of seasonal use. In the towns and cities thermostats are turned up and across the countryside, wood smoke rises from chimneys in welcome of Fall. But invariably, folks gather around their respective hearths, warm toddies in hand to listen to and tell their favorite spooky stories.

I remember, as a boy, long days in the fields bringing in the vegetables, shucking corn and helping my mother with the canning. Then, with my father, uncles and cousins making those trips into the woods to hunt for game. I didn’t enjoy the work, as a youth. I didn’t understand the necessity of the tasks. But, I sure welcomed the hot meals such activity afforded me and my brothers. We never wanted for food, though we sure worked hard enough to gather it. But therein lies the lesson.

In today’s society, of fast-food and disposable everything, it is easy to forget or fail to consider the effort required to make such a luxury available. Yes, food and warmth are a luxury. But a hard won one at that. And that, my friend, is why this is my favorite time of year. A time for remembering just how fortunate one is to have a home, hearth and food on the table. And friends and family with which to share stories.

To celebrate this season, at a time when we all seem to be locked up in our own demesnes, I have released my first chapbook, "Haunting Season". It contains 39 poems of horror, ghostly tales and strange or fantastical creatures. IT is out immediately on Smashwords and on Amazon in both eBook and Print-On-Demand.

Please check it out and leave a review. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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