On Matthew R. Callies's 'Trick or Treat, That's What They Say'

“‘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.