line and letter lettuce poetry by H.S. Mozolak

Thursday, November 7, 2013

after Halloween
Harvey S. Mozolak

the day after Halloween
many masks ripped
most flashlights dying dim
some costumes left inside out
the candy sorted
the best sealed in a clear plastic bag
the better to see the good stuff
a walk outside in the crisp air
stiffens the skin
and passes pumpkins
showing their wrinkled age
aided by now cold candles
there the tailed outfit left discarded
on the road
a dead opossum
the day after Halloween
is there any chance
that the dark pool is fake blood
under his unmoving head
and seemingly stiff curled tail
or has he hung up his costume?

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comments and use of material

Comments on the poems are welcomed. They are helpful in the sense that criticism can weed the garden by pruning out misspellings, grammatical and factual errors. I am open to suggestions for tightening the tension a line or verse might need. And beyond aiding with the editing, it is pleasing and sometimes surprising for this poet to know which words and phrases, ideas and images others find lasting or well-turned from the earth of our ordinary words. Thank you advance for your responses.

All poems and photographs are copyrighted material. Please ask for permission to share them on line, in print and any other manner. You may make such requests by emailing me at the address found on this page under "about me" and then clicking on "complete profile" or you may as part of a comment, leave your email address for me get back to you on your request. Thanks for your respect and courtesy in this matter.

some biographical information

Pastor H.S. Mozolak lives in the Lake Norman area just north of Charlotte, NC. A member of the clergy of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC), he received his B.A. from Concordia Senior College of Ft. Wayne, IN in 1965 and both the B.D. and M.Div. from Concordia Theological Seminary in 1969 and 1974. He has served parishes in Antwerp and Oberlin, Ohio and also in the Chicago suburb of Evergreen Park. He is the recently retired Pastor Emeritus of St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Scott Township, PA. He writes largely in the areas of liturgy, religious drama and poetry. Writing verse has been a part of his almost daily routine since early high school. In 2024 he began his 29th volume. The total output of poems now numbers over 4000. Liturgical writings include a full pericopal set of Eucharistic Prayers, poetry for the three year lectionary, offertory and post-communion prayers, several prayer volumes including A Palette of Cries and Prayerphrases and Javelins. He has authored a set of children's stories, Tales from the Slovak Within. He may be contacted using the email link above under "About Me-- View Complete Profile-- Contact Me" or by mail at 14917 Almondell Drive, Huntersville, NC, 28078.