We make our way to the pumpkin patch—
the piece of yard where the sun is bright
and heart-shaped leaves are able to catch
the best of each day’s life-giving light—
assisted by the little pup
that’s always eager to trail behind
(it darts away, then catches up,
and proudly shows each twig it finds).
What calls us to the tangled vines
is hope that they’ll produce a yield
in which the kids can carve designs
to scare away what the night conceals.
We work the earth for months to glean
a crop of love for Halloween.