the old woman in the upstairs window

 

the old woman’s cottage

out in the woods

on a small dirt road

was a mystical place

for the boy and his friends

 

they were told by

other boys that a

ghost lived with her

 

they got a glimpse

of her once when she

went to the well

to draw a bucket

 

she wore a long black dress

and white hair down to her waist

 

she did not see them

 

one  dark night they snuck

out to the road in the woods

to see if they could see her

 

as they neared

they saw a light shinning

from the upstairs window

it eerily lit up the woods

 

they watched for movement

but saw none

they waited

and waited

 

finally, there was movement

in the window

two silhouetted figures

waltzing around the room

 

they could hear faint music

coming through the night

wailing music like one hears at

a southerner’s funeral

 

the old woman and her ghost

were dancing to her

own funeral music

 

the boys did not wait to

see what happened next

            they ran home faster

            than a ghost could fly

 

            the next night they were

            curious enough to go one

more time to the cottage

 

the upstairs light was no more

the music was no more

 

they were never going

to share their story with anyone

 

some secrets are to be buried