A Halloween Surprise
A Rondeau30 total reviews
Comment from robyn corum
Tony,
You horrible, incorrigible old bully. *smile* I LOVED it. heehee That's what those little kiddies get for coming around old folks. HAHAHAHAHAHA! This was my laugh of the morning! Thanks!
reply by the author on 01-Nov-2016
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Tony,
You horrible, incorrigible old bully. *smile* I LOVED it. heehee That's what those little kiddies get for coming around old folks. HAHAHAHAHAHA! This was my laugh of the morning! Thanks!
Comment Written 31-Oct-2016
reply by the author on 01-Nov-2016
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Thanks, Robyn! A terrifyingly happy Halloween to you! All good wishes, Tony
Comment from Pantygynt
If I was plagued by trick and treaters, which I am not, being in far to remote a location for the little darlings to dare to travel, I would follow your lead. What an excellent idea. I could do all those things you mention but I still don't think I'd be as frightening as you sound.
Cursed in a rondeau - there's class for you.
Tell me, Tony, we are I believe of similar age and background, I cannot remember Halloween impinging on my childhood at all. Guy Fawkes night being far more important. I first became aware of it when I started teaching in the 1970. My rationale is that when Fireworks became, largely for safety reasons institutionalised the Halloween thing,m an ancient Celtic ceremony that had migrated to the USA was re-imported from there.
Or am I tot tally wrong and Halloween has always been in around and I just led a sheltered life?
I could not take part in the prose Potlatch this week -- "a Halloween of your childhood remembered" -- because for me it never happened.
reply by the author on 01-Nov-2016
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If I was plagued by trick and treaters, which I am not, being in far to remote a location for the little darlings to dare to travel, I would follow your lead. What an excellent idea. I could do all those things you mention but I still don't think I'd be as frightening as you sound.
Cursed in a rondeau - there's class for you.
Tell me, Tony, we are I believe of similar age and background, I cannot remember Halloween impinging on my childhood at all. Guy Fawkes night being far more important. I first became aware of it when I started teaching in the 1970. My rationale is that when Fireworks became, largely for safety reasons institutionalised the Halloween thing,m an ancient Celtic ceremony that had migrated to the USA was re-imported from there.
Or am I tot tally wrong and Halloween has always been in around and I just led a sheltered life?
I could not take part in the prose Potlatch this week -- "a Halloween of your childhood remembered" -- because for me it never happened.
Comment Written 31-Oct-2016
reply by the author on 01-Nov-2016
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We too are well off the beaten track so I didn't need to give my dentures the promised airing. The Americans have certainly revved this holiday up a bit.
Like you I cannot ever remember much of a song and dance about it in UK. Guy Fawkes Night was and still is immeasurably more important. One of my relatives, who dabbles in things ancestral swears that she can trace our line back to good old Guido. She asserts that our branch of the family changed the name to Fawcus as a precaution - much as you might be inclined to do if you were a modern day Trump derivative. I imagine that if she had lived to complete her work, she'd have taken us all the way back to Adam, scarcely batting an eyelid.
I do remember one year in my prep school having to draw pumpkins for art. The teacher probably had an embarrassing surplus of orange paint left over from a project on Holland. She could, of course, have been a Celt.
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I am answered. Can I be your biographer? "Focus on Fawcus" can,take get beyond the title at present.
Comment from William Ross
haha, now there's a Halloween surprise, Nicely done on the poem and prompt for Halloween. don't scare them to much. good luck and have a great day.
reply by the author on 01-Nov-2016
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haha, now there's a Halloween surprise, Nicely done on the poem and prompt for Halloween. don't scare them to much. good luck and have a great day.
Comment Written 31-Oct-2016
reply by the author on 01-Nov-2016
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Thanks, William! A terrifyingly happy Halloween to you! All good wishes, Tony
Comment from rama devi
Oh! Better watch out and skip to the next block, kids... LOL
Amusing entry for the contest---sure to place, methinks! Masterfully crafted and an entertaining, unique entry. Thanks for teaching me a new word, too!
NOTES:
Great rhymes.
Love the flow and well timed rhymes and well crafted alliteration etc., especially in the opening lines (the D, W, and B sounds especially):
This Halloween, when children don disguise
to beg from me their treats, with wails and sighs,
and witch's hat and broom, and blacked out tooth,
put on to hide their innocence and youth,
Hilarious satire:
I shall, but in reverse, respond likewise,
removing my false teeth, to hear their cries
when they discover age holds horrid truth
this Halloween.
Clever twists! HA HA HA.
Good extension of the aging theme:
My hearing aids are off, their screaming dies!
My glasses shall no longer be my spies
to soften me towards their dreadful ruth.
Great line:
Decrepitude is frightful, too, forsooth!
Pitch perfect closing note:
You'll shield your little monsters, if you're wise
this Halloween.
reply by the author on 01-Nov-2016
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Oh! Better watch out and skip to the next block, kids... LOL
Amusing entry for the contest---sure to place, methinks! Masterfully crafted and an entertaining, unique entry. Thanks for teaching me a new word, too!
NOTES:
Great rhymes.
Love the flow and well timed rhymes and well crafted alliteration etc., especially in the opening lines (the D, W, and B sounds especially):
This Halloween, when children don disguise
to beg from me their treats, with wails and sighs,
and witch's hat and broom, and blacked out tooth,
put on to hide their innocence and youth,
Hilarious satire:
I shall, but in reverse, respond likewise,
removing my false teeth, to hear their cries
when they discover age holds horrid truth
this Halloween.
Clever twists! HA HA HA.
Good extension of the aging theme:
My hearing aids are off, their screaming dies!
My glasses shall no longer be my spies
to soften me towards their dreadful ruth.
Great line:
Decrepitude is frightful, too, forsooth!
Pitch perfect closing note:
You'll shield your little monsters, if you're wise
this Halloween.
Comment Written 31-Oct-2016
reply by the author on 01-Nov-2016
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Thanks, RD! So glad you enjoyed it! A terrifyingly happy Halloween to you! All good wishes, Tony
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You too, dear Tony! ;-)))
Comment from LIJ Red
That artwork jumped in my memory...a book about the Prado, I think...Asimov said science had slain the wicked witch with vitamins, hair dye and dentures...this Rondeau should do well in the contest. Excellent.
reply by the author on 01-Nov-2016
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That artwork jumped in my memory...a book about the Prado, I think...Asimov said science had slain the wicked witch with vitamins, hair dye and dentures...this Rondeau should do well in the contest. Excellent.
Comment Written 31-Oct-2016
reply by the author on 01-Nov-2016
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Thanks, Red! A terrifyingly happy Halloween to you! Asimov was right - much harder to tell the difference between the wicked witches and the beautiful maidens these days. All good wishes, Tony
Comment from ~Dovey
Hi Tony,
Your rondeau is well written and amply sprinkled with humour of the pranks you plan to play on the children. I had a question about this one phrase:
dreadful ruth. (truth?)
Good luck in the contest!
Kim
reply by the author on 31-Oct-2016
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Hi Tony,
Your rondeau is well written and amply sprinkled with humour of the pranks you plan to play on the children. I had a question about this one phrase:
dreadful ruth. (truth?)
Good luck in the contest!
Kim
Comment Written 31-Oct-2016
reply by the author on 31-Oct-2016
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Many thanks for your review, Kim. No - 'ruth' was intended - as per the footnote (Ruth: a feeling of distress, or grief) . It is an archaic word no longer in general use, hence the confusion.
Comment from Pearl Edwards
Love this one Tony, what a laugh and what horror for the young ones, to answer the door without all the aids. Love the gummy artwork, this is a real treat. Good luck with the contest,
cheers,
valda
reply by the author on 31-Oct-2016
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Love this one Tony, what a laugh and what horror for the young ones, to answer the door without all the aids. Love the gummy artwork, this is a real treat. Good luck with the contest,
cheers,
valda
Comment Written 30-Oct-2016
reply by the author on 31-Oct-2016
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Many thanks, Valda. A bit of poetic licence here We're way off the beaten track and haven't had 'trick or treat' children up here in living memory!
Comment from Jannypan (Jan)
What a surprise--an old man in real life. No need for monsters or other Halloween stuff.
Tony,
Your poem read well. The format suited the words. The flow was awesome with a great story, too.
Good job & best wishes in the contest. Jan
reply by the author on 30-Oct-2016
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What a surprise--an old man in real life. No need for monsters or other Halloween stuff.
Tony,
Your poem read well. The format suited the words. The flow was awesome with a great story, too.
Good job & best wishes in the contest. Jan
Comment Written 30-Oct-2016
reply by the author on 30-Oct-2016
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Thanks, Jan! A terrifyingly happy Halloween to you! All good wishes, Tony
Comment from Irish Rain
Ha ha...wonderful!!! Just take the teeth out, and the glasses off, instant fright. GREAT Halloween poem Mr. Tony, loved every line, I like the Rondeau form, good choice for this. Blessings...
reply by the author on 30-Oct-2016
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Ha ha...wonderful!!! Just take the teeth out, and the glasses off, instant fright. GREAT Halloween poem Mr. Tony, loved every line, I like the Rondeau form, good choice for this. Blessings...
Comment Written 30-Oct-2016
reply by the author on 30-Oct-2016
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Wow! What a wonderful Halloween surprise your six stars are! Thank you so much, Judy.
I cackle with delight!
A terrifyingly happy Halloween to you!
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Love the cackling!!! I plan on passing out candy til 8...then eating the rest, ha ha!
Comment from Gloria ....
This is a lovely rondeau, Tony. The idea of old age being a scarier Halloween costume with its loss of hair, sight and teeth of course could be terribly frightening to the wee ones.
A great bit of tongue in cheek here and particularly with your end line.
Naturally the structure of your poem is pristine in meter and rhyme and another delight to read.
Best wishes to you in the contest.
Gloria
reply by the author on 30-Oct-2016
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This is a lovely rondeau, Tony. The idea of old age being a scarier Halloween costume with its loss of hair, sight and teeth of course could be terribly frightening to the wee ones.
A great bit of tongue in cheek here and particularly with your end line.
Naturally the structure of your poem is pristine in meter and rhyme and another delight to read.
Best wishes to you in the contest.
Gloria
Comment Written 30-Oct-2016
reply by the author on 30-Oct-2016
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Thanks, Gloria! A terrifyingly happy Halloween to you! All good wishes, Tony
