Jack-O'-Lantern Thoughts

On a night made of black sequined velvet Missing perhaps more sequins Than the years have managed to retain The air smells of damp yellow leaves Wisps of faux fog, dark chocolate And late October rain Oozings of lime green slime And violent violet writhings Under a strobing black light And the orange glow of a face Grinning with buck-toothed joy Or slashed with jagged fright Is that distant shout of “Trick or treat!” Interrupting my jack-o’-lantern thoughts Echoing outside of my head or in? Is that the chill of childish nostalgia Sweeping and creeping over me Or the chill of the autumn wind?