"Hallowe'en Charm" (A Poem)

Arthur Guiterman experienced a prosperous literary career, publishing sixteen collections of poetry, serving as editor of the Woman’s Home Companion and the Literary Digest, and cofounding the Poetry Society of America.[1] Known for his amusing compositions, the poet released his fifth anthology of work, Ballads of Old New York, in 1920, which contains the poem “Hallowe’en Charm,” a fanciful text that blends the author’s playfulness with the mysticism of Halloween night.

Fern seed, hemp seed, water of the well,
Bark of wizard hazel-wand, berry of the bay,
Let the fairy gifts of you mingle with the spell,
Guard the precious life and soul of him that's far away!

Oak slip, thorn slip, crystal of the dew,
Morsel of his native earth, shoot of mountain pine,
Lend his arm the strength of you, let his eye be true,
Send him like the thunderbolt to break the foeman's line!

Rose leaf, elm leaf, kernel of the wheat,
Airy waft of thistledown, feather of the wren,
Bring him peace and happiness, let his dream be sweet,
Take my secret thought to him and call him home again![2]

Works Referenced

Guiterman, Arthur. “Hallowe’en Charm.” Ballads of Old New York. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1920. 125.

Kunitz, Stanley. Twentieth Century Authors: A Biographical Dictionary of Modern Literature. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1955.
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[1] Kunitz, 394-396.
[2] Guiterman, 125.