On the afternoon of Saturday October 30th, five young poetry enthusiasts in our neighbourhood braved grey skies, wind and rain to gather outdoors near the community hall to read and present scary poems and have fun. The event kicked off with the reading of a scary short story called “The Golden Hand”. Next there was the Great ‘Pumpkin’ Search, with participants taking off across the field to find three American orange squash carefully hidden along the tree line. Participants then played a game in which they tried to match questions and answers that formed a Halloween joke, such as “Where does a ghost go on vacation? —Mali-boo!”
Participants then worked in pairs to practice reading a famous spooky poem, including “The Witch” by Mary Elizabeth Coleridge, “The Vampire” by Conrad Aiken and “Lucy Gray” [or Solitude] by William Wordsworth; each pair then bravely presented their poem for everyone to enjoy. Volunteer Kate Beshiri, dressed as Captain Hook, then did a dramatic reading of “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe. Shout-out to Clara Barrette who also presented her very own poem while everyone enjoyed cupcakes and treats before heading home.
