Pumpkin Bowling 1962

The Blue Hills 1962
Route 28 ran through the Hills
From Chatham
On Cape Cod
To Manchester
New Hampshire.

The four laner contracted to two
Through the Blue Hills
South of Boston.
Wider again after the lights at Chicktawbut Road,
Passing my neighborhood
A fruit stand sold pumpkins
On Halloween.
That evening hundreds lay unprotected in the night
No lights
Our gang of boys and girls.
We plundered them.
Not for smashing
But for bowling down Edgewater Road into the traffic
On Route 28.
After dark.
Harmless fun
Only three of us were up for it.
Chickie Lally, Karl Koni, and me.
My older brother shouted that the lights had changed.
We three rolled three each down the road
The pumpkins and traffic met
Horns, tires squealing, the thump of pumpkins under tires.

We ran into the night.
Laughing.
Behind the fruit stand.
Laughing
Not haha
Laughing
Laughter our mothers
Didn't know
Laughing
Because our fathers
Didn't know
Our lesson.

Pumpkins and cars don't mix.
Not even on Halloween.