On a recent, spontaneous trip to Boston, I spied this jack-o’-lantern on a city street. I’m used to seeing pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns in more rural settings, and something about this one, isolated on concrete, really stuck with me. I’ve been thinking about him ever since.
Jack-o’-lantern’s Lament
Once a plump and healthy pumpkin,
I was sundered from my vine,
cruelly disemboweled and mangled,
carved to some perverse design.
How I long for golden fields now,
yearn for trees and endless sky,
as I molder on this concrete
and amuse you passers-by.
I’ve become a foul-mouthed fruit now
overripe with mold and spores.
Do you wonder that I glower
while you rush about your chores?
©Molly Hogan, draft
This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Patricia J. Franz.
Nix the comfort zone 
Molly, I can see why you were attracted to this grumpy Jack! And I love your glowering poem…i mean “disemboweled!” What a great word to find in a poem! xo
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I just felt so bad for this carved-too-early, stuck-on-cement pumpkin!
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What a great ekphrastic prompt, Molly! That smooshed, sourpuss face could take us anywhere. I love “molder”. I might have to steal that word –I’ve seen it on a few little toddlers I know – lol.
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This was fun to play with around the edges of a conference filled chaotic school week!
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The Boston Globe would publish this poetry in a heartbeat. Where is your agent! I think they/he/she are/is slacking. Do your second graders get to see such wizardry in the teach’s poetry!
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Thanks, Dan! Maybe you should be my agent?
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Molly, how perfect to think about a pumpkin’s point of view when they go under the knife! You’ve nailed this grumpy fellow’s perspective with a mask poem – bravo!
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Thanks! He was definitely a bit surly looking!
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Great word choices, Molly! I usually see poems about pumpkins wanting to be picked for carving, so this offers a surprising perspective. What a grump – you nailed it!
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I felt bad for him—torn away from his rural background and left to rot on a city street!
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Molly, what a fun photo and delightful poem about him. In your rhyme and rhythm, you’ve captured the playfulness of the season, but also the lament of the grumpy moldering pumpkin.
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Thanks, Denise! It was a fun poem to write, though I did feel a little bad for the pumpkin.
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How I feel for that jack-o-lantern! Surely he feels vindicated since someone expressed his feelings in such a great poem. 🙂
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I hope so! He’s had a tough lot!
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I like the idea of a spontaneous trip to Boston! I hope it was for fun. This grumpuss of a Jack-O-Lantern is great fodder for a poem. Your rhymes and word choices are so great!
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Our trip was such fun! My sister and her husband (from NY) were visiting my niece and her partner, along with another one of my nieces, so we had a lovely spontaneous reunion. And I’m glad you enjoyed the poem–I had a great time writing it.
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I’d love to sneak over to Boston, too, Molly, and what an intriguing jack o’lantern you met there, a poem on the street. It is quite awesome, showing sympathy for that down and out pumpkin, missing its fields and maybe buddies? He looks so disgruntled, another part you’ve shown. I love it!
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Thanks, Linda! I’m so glad we opted to go to Boston. We literally decided to do so in about an hour and packed up and went. I’m thinking there should be more spontaneous trips in my future. Who knows who else I might encounter!?
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“foul-mouthed fruit”! Molly, your gift for rhyme and meter on are on display here, with a somewhat happier attitude than poor Jack’s. I’m saving this one for future October poetry camps–we carved one in my camp on October 20 which is moldering rather sadly on the porch and probably won’t make it until Friday…
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Good on ya for the spontaneous tripping!
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“Foul-mouthed fruit” was one of the first phrases that popped into my head. I’m glad you liked it 🙂
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Absolutely perfect for that glower on the jack-o-lantern’s face. Oh, my goodness. You are a rhymer of the finest order, Molly. I adore the words foul-mouthed, mold and spores. Sending you a wish for some peaceful moments to feel caught up. Catch!
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I think I missed 😦 But thanks for the toss! Hope you’re finding bright moments in your days!
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Such a perfect response frm a pumpkin after disembowelment, being exposed to the elements. No wonder he glowers.
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Thanks, Jone! I certainly felt some of his pain!
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Nailed it! (I especially love “foul-mouthed fruit!”)
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Thanks! He kept tugging on me asking for his poem!
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Glowers such a perfect word to describe that disgruntled pumpkin, I feel sorry for that poor thing… Thanks for the smiles! 🎃🦉🍂
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Something about the concrete surroundings and the too-early carving really struck me.
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You’ve captured his thoughts perfectly, Molly! He also reminds me of the Sorting Hat in Harry Potter. 😀
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They do share a similar slump, don’t they?
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Hope the BOS trip was for a good time – I think of it as such a great medical center, luv it for the care I received at Dana-Farber.
As for the wonderful wonky punkie poem – appreciations for this hilarious take while also making me feel this one’s soul is actually speaking to me.
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