The pad of small feet, approached from behind
he stood and thought silent, lost in his mind

Small, trembling fingers clutched the cloth of his sleeve
Caught unaware, replete in his grief

A little, white figure dressed in a sheet
the very last thing he expected to meet

Silver-blue ribbons in the black sky
revealed a sad face, to his unblinking eye

“Please sir, please help me, I've lost my way home”
“My friends have all left me, left me to roam”

The hulk of a body, all scarred and torn
Had come here to grieve, come here to mourn

A plea from this waif, brought a smile to his lips
This girl-child that stood, about height of his hips

“What were they thinking; how dare they, so mean?
This has to be, the cruelest I've seen”

“Why are you out here, why out tonight?
It's raining and cold, it's Halloween night”

“Trick or Treat sir; I go house to house”
Last year, I got candy; I was dressed as a mouse.”

“Ah, said the monster; I now understand
The smell of milk-chocolate clings to your hand”

“I can't offer you any, I'm feeling so bad
I ate it all sir; it's all that I had.”

“When I go home now, they'll all laugh at me
Say I'm so, stupid, I can't get what is free”

“Say little girl, let's have some fun
You'll have plenty of treats, by the time that we're done”

They went down the road, she rode on his back
Followed the path by the old railroad track

“No more treating , I've had quite enough
Give me a trick,” the man said in a huff

Then he saw behind, what he couldn't believe
A monster for real! On this 'All Hallows Eve'

“Here little girl, take all of this
There's apples and pennies, a chocolate drop kiss!”

Approaching some houses, they heard shouts of glee
“Those are the ones, the ones who left me!”

She looked all around, but her new friend was gone
So she went and showed them the goodies she'd won

They all wanted to know, how she did what she did
Her, a twerp, just a small kid

They didn't believe, in her friend, the nice man
They chased her, they did, and so the girl ran

'Round the graveyard, they went, into the dark
They chased her, poor girl, right into the park

They caught her at last, with cries of delight
Took her goodies, and ran, off into the night

She was sobbing and muddy, then felt a hand
There he was again, her friend, the big man!

“I saw what they did and came back for you
Now here's the plan, here's what we'll do”

The children of town were home counting treats
When knocks at their doors, showed muddy sheets

They laughed when they saw her, this small girl alone
They told her it's over, “Why don't you go home?”

With a rustle of rags, came a very large man
“ I think you should give her, whatever you can”

With screams of horror; you bet they complied!
Then doors were slammed shut, they all went to hide

Making the rounds, they cleaned up that night
The girl and the monster gave them their fright!

Now the man-monster, he stands here alone
He had taken the girl, back to her home

The sweet smell of chocolate, comes from his breath
He thinks again, lonely; this monster called Death