Red Spice

Shaily Castillo

Today’s the Fall feeling
they have been yearning for:
the smell of wood burning
inside the house,
cozy sweaters being worn,
brown, white and orange
is all the flare!

The Family gathered around
sharing stories, hopes for the new year,
presents they cannot wait to buy,
sharing the chills leading up
to the Devil’s day.

The handprints
The screams
The scalping
Begging, she begged!

Last year's blast is the severed head of Mrs. Johnson.

Her rosy cheeks still present.
The violent jerks.
Royal blue shirt, ripped open.
The zipper, yet, undone.
Unfinished feeling—
a start
of the pumpkin spice brewing.

Shaily Castillo is a a student at CCNY, and a recent convert to poetry. At twenty-three years young, much of her writing is triggered through personal experiences, which may or may not be exaggerated.