Inspired by All Hallow’s Eve: Bring on the Ghouls & Banish the Ex

On behalf of the Yuba College Literary Arts Club, The Haberdasher is pleased to announce the winners of the first annual Halloween Writing Contest.

This year’s categories include Spell Poems (inspired by the three witches infamous ” Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble,” from Shakespeare’s Macbeth), 13 Word Horror Stories, and Halloween Haiku. Winners were selected for their “inspired vocabulary,” their ability to “grip the reader in thirteen words” and to take us “somewhere unexpected.”

We hope you enjoy crunching on these spooky treats as much as we did; after all, they’re gluten free and diabetic approved!

SPELL POEMS

1st Place ~ A Witch’s Brew for an Ex-Boyfriend

by Marnie Stultz

One fat toad,

two toad stools,

one lily pad,

and a pound of pond scum.

Make him what he was before–

a toad that any foolish girl would kiss.

A boil of green, a hop for good measure,

and a fervent hope you won’t be together

2nd Place ~ Untitled

by Miranda C. Johansen

A rabbit’s foot and a leprechaun’s tear,

Two turkey feathers and a hair from Santa’s beard,

A dash of sparks from a fireworks’ fog,

And a tail from the plumpest groundhog.

Ghouls, Goblins, Monsters galore,

Halloween forever, other holidays no more.

Come one, come all, and listen to me clear,

Say goodbye to all the holidays,

and hello to Halloween all year!

3rd Place ~ Untitled

by Faith Denny

A bagful of notebooks and pencils so fine,

Half an idea and a muse off the vine,

A laptop with Word and a charger or nine,

And an old doubt and fresh fear replaced with some spine.

Mix all together under the sun

sit down and get some good writing done.

Then say: Though writing is hard with a brain full of fuzz,

writer’s block is not real, and in fact never was.

Honorable Mention ~ Cure to a Broken Heart

by Jasmine Teng

Only time can heal for patience is a virtue

Take advantage of open arms, over use listening ears

Remember what you have learned, don’t forget those memories

Give or take quantities to choice:

6 months of moping, 5 public meltdowns,

4 full days in bed, 3 concerned frowns,

2 pieces of 1 broken heart.

13 WORD HORROR STORIES

1st Place ~ Untitled

by Victoria Galvan

I thought I was carving out a pumpkin, instead it was mom’s skull.

2nd Place ~ Untitled

by Dometrus Hawkins

He calmly peered through evil eyes. Said, We shall haunt your dreams – DAHHAAHAH!

3rd Place ~ Untitled

by Enrique Huizar

Lucille awoke from her slumber only to find herself buried six feet under

Honorable Mention ~ Untitled

by Griselda Torres

I lose control of what I do to my body. See the scars?

HALLOWEEN HAIKU

1st Place ~ Halloween Haiku

by Flavio Marin

The mask wouldn’t let go

It felt so real.

Panicking and pulling.

2nd Place ~ Halloween Haiku

by Caitlin Beck

Serve me brains for lunch

Make them salty and tender

I like them with corn

3rd Place ~ Halloween Haiku

by Brady Atwal

Children roam the streets

Tricks and treats are bound to be

Cries for Halloween!

Honorable Mention ~ Haiku

by Josh Atwal

Candy, creeping, chills.

Costumes, crawling, chill air.

Halloween surprise.