“‘Trick or treat!’ That\'s what they say
To get them by on Halloween Day.”
—Matthew R. Callies, “Trick or Treat! That’s What They Say”
I didn’t know I was a poet
until I wrote about werewolves and pumpkins—
until the meter clicked like footsteps on leaves
and the words danced like shadows
under porchlight.
It came from the same place
as costumes and candy and imagination—
effortless, honest,
a boy’s small hand raised to say:
I made this.
But she didn’t believe me.
Said it was stolen.
That a sixth grader
couldn’t possibly write
like that.
And maybe that’s why I remember it all—
not just the lines,
but the sting.
The thrill of creating something
and the chill of being accused
of being too good to be real.
Still, I remember how it felt:
the rhythm rising like a chant,
a candle in a jack-o’-lantern’s grin,
my first real magic
hidden inside a rhyme.
And I still smile when I hear it—
that boy’s voice echoing across the years,
bold and bright as October:
“Trick or treat!” That’s what they say
To get them by on Halloween Day.