everyday is halloween
homage to joe brainard

i remember watching the local news tour the haunted house sponsored by the march of dimes.  there was a creature beneath the water in the bathtub.  frankenstein's monster prowled its halls.

i remember driving with my family down del paso blvd on a very hot october day.  the air was smudged with soot from nearby burning rice fields.  on the movie theater marquee was rocky horror picture show.  i thought it must be one scary flick.

i remember the halloween when latex makeup hit the market.  we gored ourselves up with slashes and wounds and blood.  then we hit the streets.  it was a long night.  we forgot how late it was.  when we got to what turned out to be the final house of the night the hippies who lived there invited us inside.  they ooh'd and ah'd and fussed over our makeup saying we were blowing their minds.

i remember we lived in salt lake city.  i forgot to wear my batman costume to school on the day of the haunted house tour.  the teacher had a large, painted, paper bag with holes cut out for the head and the arms.  he gave it to me to wear for the haunted house.  i put it on.  i felt like a fool.

 i remember choosing my costume at payless drugstore.  a whole aisle of ready-made superheroes and creatures.  my happiness was red-lining.  i picked up a flashlight with a plastic jack o'lantern over the light.  it was, at the time, one of the most beautiful objects i had ever seen.

i remember the neighbor set up a haunted house complete with strobe lights and spooky sounds.  everyone went inside.  except for me.  i could not will myself to cross its threshold.

i remember an after school assembly.  the teacher told scary tales.  the one with the beautiful lady with the sash around her neck continues to haunt me to this day.

i remember we were living in san jose.  we approached the house on the corner.  the lights were not on.  when we got to the door a  figure in utter white burst out with a loud boo.  i shit my pants and ran to my father.  the man took off his sheet and handed out candy.  i, with great trepidation, gingerly took a piece.  my father couldn't catch his breath as he was bent over with tears running down his face.

boo