“Halloween” by Lindsay Turner

Some yellow sunflowers open down the street,

Channeled Song: “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus

Interpretation: Yellow sunflowers.

A ladder is open beneath someone’s apple tree.

Channeled Song: “The Oak Tree” by Morris Day

Interpretation: A ladder under a tree.

Beneath a dead sky the contours are flattened.

Channeled Song: “Up” by Cardi B.

Interpretation: Describing the sky.

So the land of the dead is closer today.

Channeled Song: “Closer” by Ne-Yo

Interpretation: The veil thinning.

The land of the dead, they say, is closer.

Channeled Song: “Closer” by Ne-Yo

Interpretation: Almost the Day of the Dead.

But what if my lot lies with the living?

Channeled Song: “If” by Janet Jackson

Interpretation: Wondering if.

Out in the yard a long-billed bird eats something from dust.

Channeled Song: “The Bird” by The Time

Interpretation: A bird eating something in her lawn.

Its throat has a dark patch in the shape of a smile

Channeled Song: “Smile” by Michael Jackson

Interpretation: The shape of a smile.

But full, as if its throat had been slit open.

Channeled Song: “As” by George Michael with Mary J. Blige

Interpretation: As if.

But look, the bird is still pecking and alive.

Channeled Song: “Born to Be Alive” by Patrick Hernandez

Interpretation: The bird still living.

Elsewhere, a sports game, ropes of rain come down and open the earth.

Channeled Song: “Water” by Tyla

Interpretation: A game ruined by rain.

Here it’s so dry they’d just roll off the dust.

Channeled Song: “Lucky” by Britney Spears

Interpretation: Lucky to be dry.

But what if my loves, like the bird, are living?

Channeled Song: “How Will I Know” by Whitney Houston

Interpretation: Not knowing if her loved ones are alive.

What if my loves, like the bird, are living for now?

Channeled Song: “A Moment Like This” by Kelly Clarkson

Interpretation: Living for the here and now.

Most of the apples have already fallen.

Channeled Song: “Fallin’” by Alicia Keys

Interpretation: Fallen apples.

The sunflowers turn into dusty spiked balls.

Channeled Song: “Turn Turn Turn” by The Byrds

Interpretation: Sunflowers turning.

But what if my land is the land of the living?

Channeled Song: “If” by Janet Jackson

Interpretation: What if?

The bird from the dust takes flight

Channeled Song: “Fly” by Sugar Ray featuring Super Cat

Interpretation: A bird taking flight.

Then turns multiple—

Channeled Song: “Reproduction” by Tab Hunter

Interpretation: Seeds taking root.

A handful of birds rising in the dead sky

Channeled Song: “Up” by Cardi B.

Interpretation: Birds flying.

Opened to receive them. 

Channeled Song: “Eat It” by “Weird Al” Yankovic

Interpretation: Birds coming to eat the seedlings.

But my loves for now are here and living, and I want more of them.

Channeled Song: “Here and Now” by Luther Vandross

Interpretation: Acknowledging that her loved ones are still alive.

Like the bird on the ground I pick what I need from the dust.

Channeled Song: “Alone” by Heart

Interpretation: Having been abandoned.

You will want to know that the poet believed that abandonment was scarier than

Halloween.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/1600406/halloween