I went to the animal scare
The bats and the beasts were there
The ghostly baboon by the light of full moon
was combing his grisly hair....
By full moon and Halloween magic stir the lost creatures of the zoo. Like whispers on a frosty, bewitched night, they stir from enclosure, tank and pool and head to the Animal Scare.
The bears carry Jack o'lanterns that sway from side to side, candles burning bright.
Be careful of my fur yells one grizzly to another as he heads into the night.
Crocodiles snap. Wolves howl. Hyenas laugh. They all walk along, this cacophonous lot.
A ghostly parade of fluff, fur and feather and screech, slime and slither, through the zoo at dusk whilst the living animal kingdom snores......
Don't step on my tail growls the tiger to the trick or treating chimps
and he bares his sharp teeth like a malevolent imp.
The cobra has the party hats, the ducks have the banners
and the lion carries party favors in his proud poised manner.
They wander past the penguin pool and hear a waddle and a splash,
here come the Kings and the Emperors of many zoo years past.
The creatures gather up with their Halloween food - pickled, spicy anchovies and meal worm gruel.
But who has got the costumes, the pointed hats and cloaks,
the broom sticks and the vampire teeth, the spiders and the bats?
I want my magic spell book cries the parrot to the stork
I have a trick to play tonight upon that noisy wildebeest herd.
Turning past the lost child desk, although the python checks
even though his guzzling days have long since left.
With a few screeching grumbles these creatures of the dark
form a spectral parade right across the park
For animals like a party even when they're gone,
through the transparent haze of the creature underworld.
The zoo animals sneek, tiptoe, pitter patter, past the entrance kiosk and sleeping security guard - quietening their voices to a gentle stirring roar.
This is finally their time on All Hallows Eve,
to make a shadowy return and do just as they please.
Halloween night when magic's abound,
so the mammals, reptile, amphibians return from the ground.
Slipping through tanks and bars that once penned them in
Free to roam, jump, fly, creep or swim.
Lion roars to start the party, time to be afraid,
Handing out the costumes for this creature masquerade.
Croc won't wear his false teeth, he's got enough already
and viper thinks it's ridiculous with his fangs at the ready.
Monkey's tail is in a knot, tangled in elastic
and cheetah thinks his spotted garment is looking rather fantastic.
Porcupines on face paint duty, to the horror of the clan, all prickles, paint and glitter.
and spiders dipped in jam
Parrots started with his spells,
fizzbombing frogs and critters.
Sending jars of centipedes spinning from side to side,
worms and wiggly bits cascading from the sky.
The zebra wants to be a witch, the aardvarks like being clowns.
Flamingo doesn't break tradition, wearing a long pink princess gown.
The giraffe has worn his stretchy skeleton suit which looks rather unique
but not as much as toucan with a red nose on his beak.
Why am I always Dracula sighs a bored fruit bat
and rhino does look a treat with his horn stuck in a hat.
Tortoise has had his shell painted orange like a pumpkin with a face.
The hippos clutch their tickets - just hurry up and let us in this spooky place.
The crowd gathers quickly, jostling past plum fairy lights,
Marvelling at the decorations and confectionery delights.
A sparkly pumpkin disco ball is dancing to the beat
Causing several chimpanzees to juggle with their feet.
Everyone is hyper, everyone is happy
Even vultures and alligators, who normally are snappy.
The elephant lumbers along dressed as a ghoul,
a phantom pachyderm with swishing white floaty voile.
Time to find the potions and mix together for some fun
Make bubbles for the okapi that gleam like a million suns.
The flying squirrels have been busy hanging up yards of bunting
with orange, purple and green balloons tied with grass and hay.
Rows and rows of pumpkins carved and doused with sprinkles,
sticky toffee diamonds and gems that taste of honey.
Apple bobbing rhinos sulk and ruin the game
Parrot in payback for all his mischief, feather tail catches a flame....
I It starts as a slow burning and soon becomes apparent
That unless we find the pumpkin juice, we'll have a frazzled parrot.
Hyenas can't control their laughs, they really are no help
Zebras panic and so do wild dogs, letting out a yelp
Luckily the quick thinking meerkats who scamper, nose and scurry
Throw the pungent, sticky jack drink on old squawk beak in a hurry.
So now he's learnt his lesson, he tried to make amends
by dishing out the candy corn, cinammon pie and sweet gourd ale.
Lemurs hang from branches wearing sugar skull disguises
To frighten passing rodents who were handing out the prizes.
Huge great bug rosettes that all the animals covet
The wait to find out who has won is causing quite a ruckus.
There's lizards dressed as red devils with horns and great long talons
Tapirs taped with bandages to be Egyptian mummies.
A wizard of a warthog thinks he looks the best
and a zebra zombie bickers with a puma that's possessed
Best costume goes to orang-utan with his long matted ginger hair
That he plaited into monsters tentacles to give them all a scare.
Now there is a barn dance starting with music by a professional ape skeleton band
Helped out by shrivelled snakes on percussion, and guitars strummed by jaguars.
Dancing herds of gazelle and a singing panda bear
Karaoke with the tree frog troupe and slimy salamander.
Scarecrows stuffed with straw wink at hungry marsupials
Greedily filling up pouches with chocolate and bilberry fools.
A grande gateau of insects is at the centre of the buffet
With a hoard of hungry anteaters, they've not eaten for an age.
A ghastly ghostly menagerie feast on magic dragon stew
Pecking, gobbling,devouring and drinking witches brew.
As the dawn begins to peek through wispy clouds and the moon is growing pale
We are slowly drawing to the end of this dark tale
Footsteps can be heard, stomp, stomp, jangle of keys
Is this the zoo security guard, what if he sees?
The animals start to fluster and get into a fright
And turn back into vapour, apparitions out of sight.
But this isn't the living come to check tonight
It is the two old zoo keepers, also passed from this world
They heard the noisy creatures, having all their mirth
And have come to have a toast with them to creatures of the earth.
For time has past but we don't forget the animals we have loved
who roamed the forests, plains and seas and in the sky above
Remember as you stroll on this Halloween night
That a ghostly lion, aardvark, chimp or a tiny frog may just be hiding out of the light ...................
Happy Halloween to people and creatures everywhere!
Do join in with the party at A Fanciful Twist for there are some haunting parties to visit.
