There is a town

     on the other side of the tracks.

Some say it’s scary.

     Here are some of the facts.

Their way of doing things

     is different than we would.

They feel perfectly at ease

     and everything is good.

Halloween is celebrated,

     considered a special day.

The tradition is different

     in a very unique way.

Homeowners do not give treats.

     Instead they may receive.

This sounds unusual

     and even harder to believe.

Young children carry backpacks

     filled with every kind of treat.

They walk door to door

      and then street to street.

Kids ring the bell

     and wait at the door.

The person who answers

     is hoping to score.

“Here is my trick,”

     the person must say.

Then they must perform,

     showing the grandest display.

The kids are the judges.

     They have to decide.

Is this worthy of a treat,

     or should we let it ride?

The person on the block

     ending up with the biggest stash,

throws a party for the judges,

     a huge Halloween bash.

Does this town really exist,

     or is it just a fable?

Sometimes all the cards

     are not put on the table.

Nelson R. Locher writes rhymes about life in Western New York. Several have been published in The Buffalo News, WestWard Quarterly, Ariel Chart and, of course, The Daily Drunk.