Christal
Cooper
Photojournalism Piece of
Halloween, Poem, and Poet
Most people might envision
Halloween meaning jack 0 lanterns (which were originally used to scare away
evil spirits), dressing in costumes, and trick or treating. The origin of Halloween is a Christian ritual
(with possible pagan roots) in which countries from around the world celebrate
Allhallowtide every October 31st (Hallow’s Eve), November 1st (All
Saints Day) and November 2nd (All Souls Day) During these three days the saints and
martyrs are remembered in All Saint’s Day; the faithful believers are
remembered in All Soul’s Day; and the believers of the faith perform a ritual
by using humor, sarcasm, mockery, and ridicule to confront and conquer death.
Pope Gregory II made Allhallowtide an
established holiday for Rome during his ten-year tenure as pope (from 731 –
741).
Louise the Pious made the Allhallowtide
a required holiday to observe throughout his Frankish Empire in 1835.
Anglican colonists in the southern part
of the United States and Catholic colonists in Maryland celebrated
Allhallowtide . And the rest, as they
all say, is history.
Wikipedia defines photojournalism as a
particular form of journalism that employs images in order to tell a news
story. In this photojournalistic piece
we present the five poets' stories, their poems, their memories on Halloween
and/or their biographies. We also
include numerous images that flesh out their poems and their stories.
Helene Cardona
Actor, Poet, Songwriter,
and Screenwriter
World Traveler
Notes From Last Night
to
John, in memory of his father
One
can distinguish Van Gogh from Chagall,
that state of in-betweenness
where even objects seem alive,
to do with light and looking pure.
Because of all this light, I'm partially blind.
It doesn't matter whose ghost you see
as long as you see one.
Two darknesses together across the shape
of face, warmth comes forward, cool retreats.
I just experience.
Talk about faith I don't believe,
experience is cellular.
In our normal state we're not able to perceive,
that's why I think the dead know.
I had never seen before the beauty
of it, everything has to do with light.
Every ghost proof of the afterlife,
any ghost.
that state of in-betweenness
where even objects seem alive,
to do with light and looking pure.
Because of all this light, I'm partially blind.
It doesn't matter whose ghost you see
as long as you see one.
Two darknesses together across the shape
of face, warmth comes forward, cool retreats.
I just experience.
Talk about faith I don't believe,
experience is cellular.
In our normal state we're not able to perceive,
that's why I think the dead know.
I had never seen before the beauty
of it, everything has to do with light.
Every ghost proof of the afterlife,
any ghost.
From Dreaming My Animal Selves (Salmon
Poetry, 2014
Copyright granted by Helene Cardona
My Mother Ceridwen
The
light on the icon,
The
way I see her in my dreams,
The
core of her at the edge of darkness,
In
a magic cauldron always full,
Never
exhausted,
That
brings her back to life,
Guarded
by a golden serpent
Coiled
in the shape of an egg,
The
world snake marshalling
Inner
reserves,
The
seed of a new journey,
A
glimpse of the mysterious and elusive,
A
woman in a wreath made of morning glories,
This
is how she lands on the page,
Slanted,
looking out in space,
Integrated
within me
Save
the blue sky across her face.
From Life in Suspension (Salmon Poetry,
2016)
Copyright granted by Helene Cardona
Wayne Lanter
Poet, Fiction Writer,
Non Fiction Writer,
Professor of Creative
Writing at Southwestern Illinois College
Freeburg, Illinois
October
31, Nearing Midnight
all
hallow’s eve I wonder
what
loose ghosts
might
frequent me
my
privy domain
may
god forgive them
there
are enough
I
have loved and wronged
who
have wronged and loved me
without
serious consequences
the
cemetery is only a block away
I
was married once
on
all saints day
divorced
on the day of all souls
when
the tormented are ushered into heaven
or
so the story goes
this
anniversary
that
beginning of winter and chaos
of
entering
with
purgatory’s yellow lanterns
glowing
like pumpkin eyes
the
unrepentant
hover
silence as bats
still
on wing
ominous
as owls in branches of stripped trees
or
on stones waiting for names
a
time of desire and fear
crawling
from the body’s crypt
beneath
the moon
a
grinning jack-o—lantern
its
candle nearly out
From If the Sun Should Ask (http://www.amazon.com/If-Sun-Should-Ask-Parables/dp/0983841225/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414510493&sr=8-1&keywords=If+the+Sun+Should+ask)
Pages 300 – 301
Copyright granted by Wayne Lanter
From Chance of a Ghost published by
Helicon Nine Editions in 2005. (http://www.heliconnine.com/ghost_anthology.html)
Edited by Phil Miller and Gloria Vando.
Background of “October
31, Nearing Midnight”
“I
was in NYC for a reading honoring the late poet Philip Miller. The reading was October
28 at the Cornelia Street Cafe in the West Village. The reading centered
around poems by and about Miller who died in 2010 and among other works edited
(with Gloria Vando) an anthology of contemporary poets entitled Chance of a Ghost in 2005 -
Helicon Nine Editions. My poem "October 31, Nearing Midnight"
appeared in that anthology.
Sometime
during 2004 Phil Miller contacted me and said he was editing an anthology of
ghost poems. He asked me to send him one of my "ghost" poems. I told
him I didn't have one, had never thought much about ghosts (maybe
something about shades and shape-shifters but not about ghosts) and didn't know
for sure what one might think of them. He said, "Well, write one
anyway."
So
I determined to think about Halloween and ghosts and how maybe I was
already a ghost and didn't know it. After a few weeks "October 31, Nearing
Midnight" wormed its way into my unconscious and I copied down the
DNA of the worm and sent it to Phil. The idea of the poem (at least the coding
I found in the worms DNA) is that we are always approaching some unknown
fearful thing, that may or may not do us in, but will eventually turn us each
to memory - though, not quite just yet.”
Christina Lovin
Poet
Professor of English and
Theater at Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, Kentucky
To
The Ghosts of Halloween
When
Children could go out
alone,
unafraid
of
strangers, I remember a scarecrow
and
my brother as a mountain
man
in trap-door long johns
and
a long red beard.
Once
he was an African
bushman
– all black face, wide smile
painted
in white, long grasses
circling
his waist. A spear in hand,
he
showed no shame
at
the doors
of
our black neighbors.
Later,
he and his friend
would
take two costumes – change
at
the end of the block to return
like
sleazy politicians
with
different faces
at
the houses with the best treats.
When
my foot was bandaged from a surgery and sutures,
I
was Red Riding Hood: hooded
red
winter coat, my pillowcase
heavy
when I cam limping home,
red
rubber boots full of blood.
I
was a clown when I was ten-
red
and white striped
Pajamas
my mother had sewn
from
heavy flannel I would
wear
all that coming winter
when
cold settled in my attic room.
And
then the bride: my vision
blurred
by the veil of the bedroom
curtain’s
lace hanging over my eyes,
obscuring
where I would go
with
my stumbling steps
in
that costume I would one day wear,
then
tear off like so many useless rags.
Pages 43 to 44
Copyright granted by Christina Lovin
Background of “Too The
Ghosts of Halloween”
“This poem is pretty much a literal remembrance
of several Halloweens when I was a child.
The costumes described (and the
actions of my brother and his friend) were as depicted here. There is quite a bit of controversy today
about white children (or adults) appropriating costumes that represent other
cultures. Although my brother’s costume
was exceptionally politically incorrect, it was acceptable (and encouraged) to
use other cultures for costume ideas (Native Americans, Asians, African
Americans, Eskimos, Latinos, and so on).
What’s strange is that we lived at the edge of a racially mixed
neighborhood and went to school with children of many colors. It’s appalling to
look back on it now, but it was the 50s in America. I remember well each costume, and was
particularly fond of the clown pajamas on cold winter nights long after Halloween.”
Biography of Christina
Lovin
A native Mid-westerner, Christina Lovin
was born in Galesburg, Illinois, but has lived and worked in states as varied
as Indiana, Ohio, Main, and North Caroline.
She now makes her home in Central Kentucky, where she lives with three
rescue dogs in a town reminiscent of Mayberry RFD. After having several careers, including
minister’s wife, retail shop owner, and VISTA volunteer, she received a Master
of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree from New England College in 2004. She began teaching college-level writing
courses that fall, and is currently a full-time lecturer in the English &
Theatre Department at Eastern Kentucky University.
Lovin’s writing has appeared in over
one hundred different literary journals and anthologies as well as five volumes
of poetry (Echo, A Stirring in the Dark, Flesh, Little Fires, and What
We Burned for Warmth). She is
the recipient of numerous poetry awards, writing residencies, fellowships, and
grants, most notably the Al Smith Fellowship from Kentucky Arts Council,
Kentucky Foundation for Women, and Elizabeth George Foundation Grant.
***
Anne Tammel
Poet, Novelist, and
Image Consultant
San Clemente, California
at
night
the yellow checker cab releases steam
into the windy autumn street. crisp leaves
dance by like children in bright coats. they rush
like frightened apparitions up to porches. in sheets,
the rain collides with windows, purple, cracked;
inside, the carved lit pumpkins fill the darkened
shadows. an odd must-like scent starts to cross the lonely
block. the last rush home on foot in twos and fours,
until a small back cat sits all alone. he watches—as if
jewels make up his tawny eyes. and once the
last of the old candles starts to flicker, we
shiver, watch the sky, feel the witch take flight.
on
hallow’s eve
she’d been a sorceress, a healing witch
gathering branches alone in the darkest woods.
fusing plants, she haunted like this
leaving suburbia in shadowed clouds.
herbs, flowers, poultices filled her dark home,
herbs steamed from small pots, bottles lined
shelves.
odd tinctures healed strangers—even herself:
black willow, arnica, cardamom, spice.
she ran toward the moon as they turned out their lights,
sang with earth and its pattern, late in the
night—
rhymed with moonlight, fire, sage, and mist,
to
bring gifts from the old, summon the wise.
and at dawn as they woke to yawn about dreams
she turned back to her spells, to the night—to new schemes.
Anne’s Halloween Memory:
I remember reading Ruth Chew books (http://www.ruthchew.com) —the ones about witches masquerading as
people who lived among us in old towns.
And growing up in San Jose on a very old
block called Miller Street, which by late October was awfully cold and dark and
sometimes raining at night. My mother worked late, and we had to eat before we
went trick-or-treating. So we always trick-or-treated late at night. And by the
time we reached most of the old houses, we were the last of the shivering
children to knock on the darkened doors. It was the old doors no one answered
that we feared the most. These were the scariest of houses. These houses, we
believed, were filled with witches. Their yards were filled with musty,
slippery leaves that left a foul odor. And the trees were so large, the yards
were filled with vast shadows.
And as we knocked on the door then waited
and waited and held our breath, one of us would step on an old floorboard and
it would creak. Or a branch would sway to create a new shadow. We would run
down the old wooden steps in our ill-fitting shoes, sometimes losing the shoes
and even our candy, but never stopping once to look back. And all year long, we
waited and watched for and wondered about those witches…
Anne’s Biography:
Anne Tammel is the
author of the forthcoming book of poems, Endless: a Literate Passion (Aldrich
Press, March 2015).
Tammel's poetry, fiction and articles have
been published most recently in Poydras
Review, Annapurna Magazine, Mediterranean Poetry, 3Elements Literary Review, Saint Julian Press, Miracle Literary Magazine, Edgar
Allen Poet Literary Journal, and more. A news correspondent, professional
speaker, and editor for literary journals, Tammel is also owner and founder of
Poets and Dreamers (http://poetsanddreamersdotcom.wordpress.com), the author's network featured in CBS Los
Angeles. Tammel earned her MFA in creative writing at California State
University, San Diego, and her BA in English literature / career writing at
California State University, San Jose.
Pam Uschuk
Author, Artist, Poet
Associate Professor of
Creative Writing at Fort Lewis College
Bayfield, Colorado
TRICK
OR TREAT
“Great
spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds.” ~
Albert
Einstein
In
the molding Halloween pumpkin,
the
red candle frosts. Cherry leaves
drop
their spent envelopes through dawn
as
the note from my student
howls
thousands of miles through cybersphere.
Back
home in our small mountain town blazed
autumn,
riot police pepper –spray
the
wide eyes of unarmed teens, Halloween
pranksters,
who for years, sang midnight
and
frost to alpine stars, a winter-flung
moon
eating the length of their days.
At
point blank range, riot police behind pexiglass shields
shoot
bean bags at the heads of students,
lacerating
their mace-streaked cheeks.
What
gradient lens will allow these students to see
the
laws of our land as anything but blind?
On
Wall Street the sit-in stretches its arms
into
a third mouth, those protestors
unemployed
curl in in sleeping bags
iced
by early snow. They show
no
signs of giving up their demand
for
an end to corporate greed, obscene
profits
eaten by CEOs who turn up thermostats
in
penthouses where they survey
kingdoms
of lavish views.
What
can I offer my students, except
poems
lifting unsilenced
by
bullets, blinding poison or fists. Here,
fog
blows above the swirl of the Tennessee River,
pocketing
the homeless who curl
against
concrete bridge struts
as
if any lavish government construction
contract
could save them.
PHOTO
DESCRIPTION AND COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Photo
A
All Saint’s Day
Painting
by Wassily Kandinsky
Style
of painting is expressionalism
Genre
of painting is allegorical
Technique
of painting is oil
Material
of painting is canvas
Location
of painting is in the gallery Stadtische Lenbachhaus in Munich, Germany
Date
the painting was done in is 1911
Photo
B
Painting
of Pope Gregory III
Before
1923
Attributor
unknown
Public
Domain
Photo
C
Louis
the Pious
Contemporary
description of Louis Pious as a soldier of Christ with a poem of Rabanus Maurus
overlaid
826
Public
Domain
Photo
D
The
High Point housing project was built to house workers and their families who
came to West Seattle during World War II, when the area's shipyards and
airplane factories provided many new jobs. The project's 1,300 apartments were
ready beginning in April 1942. During the first year, kindergarten was held at
the community hall and later a 12-room High Point School opened. This photo
shows children at a party, probably being held in the community hall.
Photograph
by Seattle Post Intelligencer Staff Photographer
Photograph
taken in October of 1943
CCA20G
Photo
1
Helene
Cardona
Attributed
to Adrian Carr
Copyright
granted by Helene Cardona
Photo
2
Helene
Cardona and Mike
Copyright
granted by Helene Cardona
Photo
3
Self-portrait
1880
Vincent
Van Gogh’s Mirror – image self portrait with the bandaged ear
Oil
on canvas.
In
the collection of Sanlung Mr. and Mrs. Leigh B Block of Chicago, Illinois
Public
Domain
Photo
4
Head
of a skeleton with a burning cigarette
Oil
on canvas painting by Vincent Van Gogh
January
1886-February 1886
Located
at the Van Gogh Museum
Public
Domain
Photo
5
Portrait
of Marc Chagall on July 4, 1941
Attributed
to Carl Van Vechten
Library
of Congress
Public
Domain
Photo
6
Stained
glass windows inside the Mets Cathedral
By
Marc Chagall
Photograph
of Chagall’s stained glass windows attributed
to Christina Legacy
CCASA
3.0
Photo
7
Jacket
cover of Dreaming of My Animal Selves
Photo
8
Ceridwen
Oil
on canvas
Attributed
to Christopher Williams
Located
at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery Swansea
Public
Domain
Photo
9
Close
up photograph of Blue Morning Glory
October
12, 2005
Attributed
to PiccoloNameK
GNU
Free Documentation License
CCASA3.0
Unported
Photo
10
Wayne
Lanter in Paris, France
Copyright
granted by Wayne Lanter
Photo
11
Saints
Day at a cemetery in Sanok, Poland.
Friends and family members lay flowers and light candles to honor the
memory of dead relatives
Attributed
to Silar
Photograph
taken on November 1, 2011
CCASA
3.0 Unported
Photo
12.
The
Ladder of Divine Ascent is an important icon kept and exhibited at Saint
Catherine’s Monastery, located at the base of Mount Sinai in Egypt.
The
gold background was manufactured in the 12th Century after a
manuscript written by the 6th Century monk John Climacus who based
it on the biblical description of Jacob’s ladder. It depicts the ascent to Heaven by monks,
some of which fall and are dragged away by black demons.
Photograph
taken on October 27, 2007
Photograph
attributed to Florian Prischi
Public
Domain
Photo
13
Graves
lit by candles in Stockholm, Sweden, Skogskyrkogarden at All Saints Day
Photograph
taken on November 6, 2010
Photograph
attributed to Holger Motzkau
CCBYSA
3.0
Photo
14
Lamp
pumpkin jack o lantern
October
3, 2014
CCA4.0
International
Photo
15
Jacket
cover of If the Sun Should Ask
Photo
16
Jacket
cover of Chance of a Ghost An Anthology of Contemporary Ghost Poems
Photo
17
Phil
Miller
April
2010
Fair
Use Under the United States Copyright Law
Photo
18
Gloria
Vando
Fair
Use Under the United States Copyright law
Photo
19a and 19b
Helicon
Nine web logo
Photo
20
Phil
Miller in October 2009.
Fair Use Under the United States Copyright law
Fair Use Under the United States Copyright law
Photo
21
Christina
Lovin
Copyright
granted by Christina Lovin
Photo
22
Scarecrows
in a rice paddy field in Japan
Public
Domain
Photo
23
Photograph
of a Bushman Hunter
Fair
Use Under the United States Copyright Law
Photo
24
Little
Red Riding Hood
Illustration
from a 1927 story anthology
Attributed
to Project Gutenberg
Public
Domain
Photo
25
Clown
Taken
from the facebook page of Christina Lovin
Photo
26
“Signing
the register”
Painting
by Edmund Leighton (1853-1922)
Public
Domain
Photo
27
Filthy
rags
GNUFDL
CCASA 3.0
CCASA 3.0
Fair
Use Under the United States Copyright Law
Photo
28
Christina
Lovin
Copyright
granted by Christina Lovin
Photo
29 and 30
Jacket
cover of Echo
Photo
31
Jacket
cover of A Stirring In the Dark
Photo
32
Jacket
cover of Flesh
Photo
33
Jacket
cover of Little Fires
Photo
34
Jacket
cover of What We Burned For Warmth
Photo
35
Anne
Tammel
Copyright
granted by Anne Tammel
Photo
36
Anne
Tammel
Copyright
granted by Anne Tammel
Photo
37
Magic
Circle
Oil
on canvas
Painting
by John Wiliam Waterhouse
Photograph
of painting attributed to Tate Britain
Public
Domain
Photo
38
Inside
the Witch’s Kitchen
Public
Domain
Photo
39
Witches
Mill Museum in Castletown Postcard
Attributed
to Gerald Gardner (1884-1964)
Public Domain
Public Domain
Photo
40
Vintage
photograph of naked woman and skeleton
Public
Domain
Photo
41
Ruth
Chew
Public
Domain
Photo
42
Ruth
Chew webpage logo
Photo
43
The
Door
Attributed
to Mauricio Garcia Vega
CCASA
3.0 Unported License
Photo
44
Vintage
drawing of the witch inside her house
Public
Domain
Photo
45
Anne
Tammel
Copyright
granted by Anne Tammel
Photo
46
Pam
Ushuck
Copyright
granted by Pam Ushuck
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