iphone picture of yesterday's boiling sky
Shalom from haunted DC.
Every year right about now I begin to notice the spirits, the ghosts, the wandering dead. It feels like they are newly arrived, but my guess is that they're always hanging around, though not as palpable as in October.
The leaves fall, at which time huge chunks of sky, obscured by the leaf canopy in summer, are suddenly revealed. Similarly, or it goes in the Reyaverse, in October the veil thins. The ghosts become apparent. Their presence is so strong at this time of year, they are nearly visible to the "naked eye," (whatever that means).
People say they don't sense the ghosts, but I think they do, and I am entitled to my opinion. Ever had that creepy feeling that someone is right behind you, but when you turn around, no one is there? Yep, that's what I'm talking about. Rational people immediately discount the mystery of moments like that by creating a plausible story: it was the wind, or the leaves blowing on the sidewalk, something clanking around in the backpack or bag, etc.
Autumn is a great time to commune with the Dead. No doubt I'll make my way over to Arlington one day in the next couple of weeks, hang out with the soldiers. I also have been aware of a lot of horse ghosts this year, shuffling up and down the streets, through carriage house walls and such.
Halloween is the only night I will not speak to the spirits. It's the night when all the creepy, mean, angry dead come out to have fun at our expense. The kids look cute in their outfits, I suppose. It does seem to be later in the evening when the chaotic, let's-do-some-damage atmosphere takes hold. Those ghosts are the bullies and petty criminals of the spirit world. That's why we give out candy, to appease the angry spirits.
What do I mean "we?" I won't hand out a single piece of candy to that crew. I'm not afraid of them and I won't be bullied. As usual I will seek refuge under the roof of the house on Tennessee Avenue, with the dogs and my ex housemates.
Until Halloween, though, I am enjoying the contact. Most of the spirits in DC mean no harm. They're just hanging out.
6 comments:
The battlefield seems super-active this fall. This is the first time I've actually "seen" something. I'm wondering if it has anything to do with pre-election toxicity?
The battle anniversary is just a few days before Veterans Day, so it's that time of year. I can't decide if I'm just more in tune with it this year, or if something's different.
Either esy, it is packing a wallop this year. Hope you're able to sleep, Rebecca.
Either way
Typos!
Fortunately we don't get trick-or-treaters here. Halloween isn't as much of an event in England.
we rarely got any in all the years I lived in my city neighborhood. Never really understood why when other sections of the neighborhood got lots. But out here in the country, we don't get any, ever. I don't even carve pumpkins any more, something that I did every year without fail from the time I was a kid until we moved out here. Even one halloween on a river trip, I carved jack-o-lanterns out of the two cantaloupes we had brought.
It seems to be a spirit-laden time of year, yeah, I see what you mean.
Sometimes I carve a pumpkin for Halloween, and I always hope for trick-or-treaters. There are so few out that they are really rather special.
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