Poems are written with varying levels of meaning, imagery, fact, and symbolism which may not be understood by the reader. How much a reader enjoys a poem isn’t necessarily dictated by their understanding of it, but it sure could help. However, when a poem’s subject is unknown to the reader it can add an additional layer of misunderstanding. In these instances it’s certainly helpful when there’s an explanation about the subject, especially when the poet had to do research to write the poem in the first place. Therefore, below is an explanation for one of the many poems in MindSpring. It certainly can’t explain everything going on in the poem, but it’s definitely a start.

Soulful Nights is a poem written about the poet’s favorite holiday - Halloween. Those who celebrate or protest Halloween probably don’t fully understanding its origins. So whether Halloween comes from one or many holidays is certainly up for interpretation, but the commonality they share certainly shouldn’t be discounted. The intent of this poem is to reconnect us to our past, even when it comes from the far stretches of our cultures.

The poem begins by taking us back in time to an evening under the ever mysterious moon while introducing the oldest, and possibly most influential, holiday of Samhain (pronounced sow-win). Samhain is a Gaelic festival celebrating the end of harvest and the beginning of winter from October 31st to November 1st. It was believed to be a time when the passage between this world and the next could be easily made, which is conveyed in the line “should the veils stretch so thin.” Protection from evil spirits or fairies coming through, who were referred to as Aos Si (pronounced aes-shee), took many forms: fires were constructed from bones (bonfires) and masks were worn as disguises while “mumming” or “guising” as they went door to door in costumes during the festival. As with any celebration, feasts were enjoyed, but they went so far as to reserve places at the table for deceased family members in the hopes of their return. The line “for earlier years to return again” speaks directly to their hopes, while the feelings of loss and remembrance continue to echo throughout the poem.

The next section moves on to All Saints’ Day, which resides on November 1st. The first stanza ends with “leaves break free in the cool wind joining those who’ve passed on” as a way to create a connection between ourselves and how the leaves change with the seasons before falling to the ground to die, suggesting that leaves are a synonym for mankind. This day is important because Halloween, which actually means holy evening, refers to the night before All Saints’ Day. All Saints’ Day is a festival that pays homage to saints who have reached heaven - the church triumphant. The poem then makes a shift to All Souls’ Day, which falls on November 2nd, about halfway through this section. The subtle transition to All Soul’s Day occurs with the line “given as this 2nd sight.” This line also carries the idea that loved ones who have passed on could be seen again. All Souls’ Day is celebrated for those who are in purgatory, having not yet reached heaven - the church penitent. The stanza beginning with “this day of days but once a year” is about how anyone fearing retribution from those they’ve wronged would make an offering of food during feasts as a way to appease their spirits. The lines “candles reflected on this night” and “rows of stones tell their lost story” refer to the candles that were lit for loved ones and placed by their headstones.

The final section not only serves as a summary, but also circles back to October 31st for All Hallows’ Eve, which over time has morphed into Hallowe’en before eventually becoming Halloween. All Hallows’ Eve is a Christian holiday celebrating the night before All Saints’ Day, while also aligning with the much older Gaelic holiday of Samhain. The many influences behind Halloween are introduced in the first line “these nights intertwine like fabric sewn” before alluding to the separation among the holidays with “sharing times so far apart.” “Reaches beyond flickering lights” not only means there is more to the holiday than the candles on Earth or the stars in the night sky, but also hints of a connection between the two, almost as if they are one in the same. “Today’s leaves share the same season” carries several meanings. It speaks to how the changing seasons today are no different than they were before, it reiterates from the previous section of the similarity between leaf and man in life and death, and finally, it means how the various holidays that made up Halloween in the past still do today. The poem makes its graceful conclusion by once again referencing the “spirit moon,” since above all else, the moon’s mystical presence has certainly carried through the ages.