Hungry Ghost Festival Poem by Daya Nandan

Listen to the whispers brought by the gale,
Listen to the sounds from the breath you exhale,
Hear them, those tales and secrets left untold,
Of men and women that lie in the earth so cold,

Some in anguish in search for flesh,
The taste of blood with life to refresh,
For today is a day they break the spell,
The temporary liberation from the gates of hell,

Surging energy towards a blight,
Towards the light and into the night,
They shall roam once again humans of the past,
Walking without chains so divine at last,

Watch your steps as midnight hour is at hand,
When darkness and terror rules the land,
A time when staying home would be smart,
Before they bind you close stopping your heart,

Before your feet are rooted to the ground,
Before terror strikes, before you can make a sound,
Before your mortal lungs run all out of air,
Before they realize that you are there,

Careful you must be, careful you should be
For spirits can lurk even in the most harmless tree,
Cold you will feel, a reason to shiver,
They will kill faster than the cirrhosis of your liver,

Be mindful of your environment when you walk and drive,
The most essential skill needed to stay alive,
Be mindful of both forces of good and evil,
In anycase enjoy your Hungry Ghost Festival.