Gray-hooded goblins knock at my door,
Tiny white ghosts two feet from the floor,
Frightening wizards as ugly as doom,
Haggard old witches all minus a broom,
Scary black cats and bewhiskered gnomes
Traipsing the neighborhood far from their homes,
Carrying paper bags heavy with loot,
Candy, nuts, popcorn, iced cookies, and fruit—
Halloween squirrels wear very queer fur
Gathering seasonal provender.
Eva Willes Wangsgaard did not begin writing poetry until she was in her forties. She died in 1967 as “one of Utah’s most distinguished poets.” “Halloween Squirrels” was originally published in The Improvement Era.
