Halloween/Christmas - If it's all the same to you...

     Okay,  if you saw my last post - the video by Maria Merola - you might be thinking, "Wow!  These people are nuts!"  OR... you might be thinking, "Hey! These people are on to something.  Here is some food for thought:  Show me WHERE in God's Word it says we should celebrate Christ's birthday?  Better yet, show me where in the scriptures it is written that His birthday is December 25th?  (Hint: It ain't there!!!)  Actually if you study the scriptures and can do some math, you will find that Christ's birthday was around the middle of September - per the Gregorian calendar.  It very likely fell on one of God's Holy Days... Doesn't that make sense?  The best research shows that the Messiah's birthday was probably on Feast of Trumpets.
  
      ANYWAY, on the lighter side,   I wrote this ridiculous poem years ago,  making fun of the Santa Claus myth. I also did a little colored pencil drawing to go with it.  So, if it's all the same to you...

         A Visit With Ol' Punkin' Head
                     by Twyla Germain Ben-David

'Twas the night before Halloween and all through the castle
was an attitude of bitchin' and groanin' and hassle.
The stockin's wuz hung by the outhouse with care
in hopes that 'Ol Punkin' Head soon would be there...

The children wuz slappin' at the bugs in their beds,
as visions of goblins danced through their heads;
And me with my buzzards and Paw with his bats
wuz fillin' the mousetraps with cheese for the rats.

When out in the junkyard I heard someone mutter,
so I walked on the porch and stood in the clutter;
But I tripped on some garbage and a rusty ol' wrench,
and it stirred up the dog doo with a horrible stench!

The full moon wuz bright and the color of mud,
and it gave me full view of our yard full of crud.
When what to my buggerin' eyes should  there be
but a miniature dumptruck and eight howlin' banshee...
With a big-headed driver, so orange and red,
that I knew in a moment it wuz Ol' Punkin' Head.

More slowly and dully the banshees they came
and he hollered and hooted and called 'em by name:
"Now Passer! Now Pooter! now Stanker and Blitzen!
On Vomit!  On Vapid!  On Bomber and Schitzzen!
To the end of the mud yard, to the side of the wall,
Now gas away, gas away, gas away all!"

The dry leaves wuz swirlin' above all the clay,
and the cowpies wuz dryin' alongside the hay...
So down by the outhouse the banshees they flew
with a truck full of garbage, and Punkin' Head, too!

Well, after a minute I heard in the yard
the moanin' and groanin' of the banshees, so tired!
Then I focused my eyes and wuz turnin' around
when down by the outhouse was Punkin' Head bound...
He wuz covered with slime from his head to his foot,
and his face was a grinnin' and blotched up with soot...

A bagful of garbage wuz flunf on his back
and he looked like the Boogie Man opening his pack.
His eyes wuz real dull, his wrinkles so deep,
 his nose wuz so slimy I thought I would weep.
His mouth wuz drawn up and his teeeth they wuz missin',
an' I knowed in my heart he wuz just made fer kissin'!

With the stump of a cigar he waved up a cloud,
and the smoke, it encircled hisself like a shroud.
He had that hig head and a thin little body,
so wiry, so dirty, so stinkin' and shoddy!
He wuz wrinkled and slimy, too awful to mention;
and I gagged when I realized how bad he was stenchin'!

A wink of his eye and a twist of his neck
soon gave me to know that he came straight from heck!
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
and filled all the stockin's; then, turned with a jerk.
And layin' his finger 'long side of his head,
He looked straight at me, and it filled me with dread...

But, he walked to the dumptruck and started away,
and the banshees wuz howlin' as they stomped thru the clay;
and I heard him exclaim as they went outta' sight,
"Have a great Halloween, and a Punkin' Head night."

P.S.   So... hang up yer stockin's by the outhouse with glee
         and hope that the garbage will pile up..... You'll see!
         Now, keep up the vigil, your heart full of dread
         and look fer a visit with Ol' Punkin' head.

SHALOM  Y'ALL 
     TWYLA