October by John Updike
The month is amber,
Gold, and brown.
Blue ghosts of smoke
Float through the town,
Great V’s of geese
Honk overhead,
And maples turn
A fiery red.
Frost bites the lawn.
The stars are slits
In a black cat’s eye
Before she spits.
At last, small witches,
Goblins, hags,
And pirates armed
With paper bags,
Their costumes hinged
On safety pins,
Go haunt a night
Of pumpkin grins.
A Child’s Calendar, 1965
by John Updike