Film canister rattles in coat pocket
Skeleton keys turn in rusted lockets
Maple leaves curl like burnt negatives
Streetlamps buzz with electric relatives
Lantern light drips in black puddle mirrors
Cold wind cuts through skeletal veneers
Shutter catches what eyes ignore here
Ghosts develop slow in chemical tears
Plastic masks sag on porch railings
Paper ghosts tear at staple failings
Candy corn spills from torn bag seams
Flash bulb catches sugar dreams
Developer stains fingertips midnight
Fixer smells like burnt almond delight
Contact sheet shows what naked eyes missed
Jack-o-lantern grins through rising mist
Lantern light drips in black puddle mirrors
Cold wind cuts through skeletal veneers
Shutter catches what eyes ignore here
Ghosts develop slow in chemical tears
Bus engine coughs heater broken
Film advance lever frozen
Last exposure porch light glowing
Negative holds what we're knowing
Dawn breaks pale on developer tray
Pumpkin smash in gutter gray
Bus ticket punched destination nowhere
Halloween lives in silver halide air
Lantern light drips in black puddle mirrors
Cold wind cuts through skeletal veneers
Shutter catches what eyes ignore here
Ghosts develop slow in chemical tears
Halloween lives in chemical tears
Camera clicks bus pulls away
Negative dry another day
