(This poem is a parody of the 1823 poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” by Clement Clarke Moore)
‘Twas the night of Halloween
When all through the house
Creatures were stirring
Ghouls, ghosts, and a spouse-sized mouse
The children were stoked for their night of independence, out alone
The dangers to them, unencountered and unknown
I, dressed in all black, and Mama, with a gnarly staff
Had just settled down, to hand out candy, for an hour and a half
Their hollow pumpkin baskets, were all prepared
For the dark and dangerous neighborhoods, they were aware
And so, we sent the youngins, on their way
To slay away this unearthly day
The moon shining down on the slick streets
Gave a midday illusion to all beneath
And the wicked werewolves and phantoms of the afterlife
Breathed into Halloween, new life
The night was still young
In fact, it’d hardly begun
When in the back, I heard such a clatter
I simply had to see what was the matter!
Speeding fast as a flash,
Determined to check out the crash
I sprung ‘round to the back, lickety split
And that’s when I caught sight of “it”
A towering monster, dark green and thick!
Three times as large as St. Nick
Had landed in my backyard with a roar
Wings spread wide open, ready to soar
He was dressed in all polyester, from his head to his foot
And his clothes were the color of ashes and soot
A bundle of things he had flung on his back
And he looked identical to a pedler with his pack
His eyes—how they glowed!
His fangs—how they shone!
His breath was like a furnace,
Hot, rank, and overblown!
His crooked grin stretched, his laugh shook the ground
And when he stomped once, it echoed all around
The sack he flunged bulged heavy with sweets
Candy corns, chocolates, and licorice treats
And as leaves that before the wild hurricane fly
The great ol’ monster twisted into the sky
And up over the households, the creature flew
Dropping off little toys, and candy too
As I whipped my head, turning around
The behmenoth touched down again, then left with a bound
And he left craters in the earth, with his ginormous flip-flops
As he traveled between the houses’ tip-tops
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work
Filling cauldrons and pumpkins with a mischievous smirk
And laying a claw on the side of his nose
He leapt to the rooftops, his black wings arose
He sprang to the night, and the beast gave a howl
And away he did fly, like a bat on the prowl
But I heard him exclaim, as he faded from sight—
“Happy Haunting to all, and to all a spooky night!”
Kavi Bijayananda is a 15 year old Junior at Covington Classical Academy. He skipped 6th and 7th grade and loves writing. He’s been published and involved with many other writing organizations and competitions, such as Scholastics, Poetic Power, KET, and The American Library of Poetry. Whenever he isn’t writing, he’s doing homework, playing soccer, or tutoring in his free time.
Published 10/30/25