Ghoul Supplies

‘Twas a month before back to school and all through the stores,

Remnants of school supplies littered the floors.

The stock was depleted, the shelves were all bare

No notebooks, no rulers, nor new clothes to wear.

The children were playing freeze tag in the aisle,

No visions of classrooms cramping their style.

With summer vacation still only half done,

Their thoughts of school simply weighed it at none.

But Mama she knew the time had arrived,

To hunt and to gather the needed supplies.

Though now it seemed her timing was wrong.

Still four weeks to go, but the stuff was all gone!

No boxes for lunch, no cases for pencils

No backpacks, erasers, paper or stencils.

No crayons for coloring, no glue for the crafts,

Mama sighed, turned around, and then let out a laugh.

For what to her wondering eyes did appear?

But witches and ghosts and trick or treat gear.

For though Halloween was three months away,

The candy and costumes were there on display.

Mom scanned her list, a new plan she devised,

What’s a mother to do, but improvise?

They can carry their books in that large witches’ cauldron,

And for a lunch box, a cute plastic pumpkin!

They will make do without crayons and pens,

Face paints for writing, just a means to an end.

Slimy goop for the glue and cobweb covers for books,

And scissors made out of these pirate hooks!

Mom checked off her list, her spirits undaunted,

So what if these school supplies are all haunted?

But this enthusiasm, the kids did not share,

With their own sense of horror, frozen, they stared.

And then with a shriek, the protest did start,

We can’t go to school like that – have a heart!

The kids will all laugh, they’ll call us all names,

We’ll never be able to live down the shame!

Now kids, she said, just stop all this worry,

To finish this shopping, we really must hurry.

And really, this fretting, is all for no reason

For no one will know who you are this Fall season.

Since they are the only clothes to buy in your size,

In these costumes, you won’t even be recognized.

No need for shame, they won’t know who you are.

So come on and help me load up the car.

The kids hung their heads and rode home in defeat,

While mom munched away on a sweet, crunchy treat.

For all of her shopping, it was the cream of the pack,

This bag full of chocolate that never talked back.