Halloween Poems: 16 Originals for Kids, Cards and Grown-Ups

Short Halloween Poems

Four lines or fewer, perfect for cards, invitations and pumpkin-carving tags.

Pumpkin Light A candle in a pumpkin’s head, a grin of gold and flame; it smiles at every child who knocks and never asks their name.

October Moon The moon is low, the leaves are red, the porch is lit, the ghosts are fed.

Invitation Come as a ghost, come as a cat, come as a witch in a pointed hat; come as you are, or come as you’re not, but come before the candles rot.

One Night Only For one night only, doors swing wide, and strangers in masks are welcomed inside.

Halloween Poems for Kids

Gentle rhymes for classrooms and young trick-or-treaters. If older kids want something spookier, try our scary riddles with answers.

The Littlest Ghost The littlest ghost on Pumpkin Lane was scared of the dark and scared of the rain; so every Halloween, at eight, she brings a flashlight and her best friend, Kate.

Five Little Pumpkins Five little pumpkins in a row, one wore a smile and one wore a bow, one had a hat and one had a frown, and one rolled off and ran into town.

My Costume I was a witch last year, and the year before a bat, this year I’m going as something that nobody has guessed and nobody will see: this year I’m going as invisible me.

The Friendly Skeleton The skeleton next door is kind, he waves when we walk by; he has no heart, my brother says, but I think that’s a lie.

Funny Halloween Poems

For parties, captions and anyone who likes their ghosts with a sense of humor.

The Vampire’s Complaint I’ve tried the garlic-free cuisine, I’ve tried the sunscreen too; but no one wants to date a man who only says “I vant to bite you.”

Diet The mummy swore he’d cut back on sweets, no chocolate, no candy, no jelly-filled treats; but on Halloween night, at the end of the hall, he unwrapped himself and he ate them all.

Haunted House Review Three stars. The ghosts were very polite, the chains were loud, the stairs were tight; but the scariest thing in the whole place, yes, was the price of the snacks at the gift shop desk.

Trick I asked for a trick, and the neighbor complied: he handed me raisins and ran back inside.

Spooky Halloween Poems for Adults

Darker poems for the end of the night. For a full Halloween story in the same mood, read The Last House on Maple Street.

All Hallows’ Eve The veil is thin tonight, they say, the dead come home to see the chairs we kept, the cups we wash, the space where they used to be. I set a plate, I light a lamp, I leave the front door wide; and when the clock strikes twelve, I hear my mother’s step inside.

The Mask I bought a mask to fool the dark, a face that wasn’t mine; I wore it out, I wore it home, it fit me far too fine. At dawn I tried to take it off and found, beneath the mask, another face I didn’t know, who smiled and wouldn’t ask.

Last Trick-or-Treater At midnight, when the lights were out, a child came to the door; her costume was a faded sheet I’d seen somewhere before. I gave her all the candy left; she shook her head: “Not why. I came to see you one more time, Mom. Now I can say goodbye.”

The Jack-o’-Lantern’s Watch I carved a face to guard the porch and put a candle in; it watched the street, it watched the dark, it watched me with a grin. By dawn the flame had long gone out, the pumpkin soft and cold; but still it watched, and still it smiled, and still I have not told.

How to Use These Halloween Poems

Short Halloween poems fit inside a card or on the back of a party invitation. Kids’ poems work well for classroom readings, pumpkin-carving contests or trick-or-treat bags; ask children to act out “Five Little Pumpkins” with their fingers. Funny Halloween poems make good captions and toasts. Save the spooky poems for adults until late in the evening, when the candles are low and the party has gone quiet.

You are welcome to use these poems for personal cards, classrooms and parties. A mention of LiveLore is appreciated but not required. If you are writing your own, our guide on how to write a horror story covers the same tricks of rhythm and reveal.

Famous Halloween Poems

Halloween has inspired poets for centuries. Robert Burns’s “Halloween,” written in 1785, describes the Scottish customs of the night, including fortune-telling games, and is one of the earliest poems named for the holiday. Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” (1845) is not about Halloween but is read every October. Carl Sandburg’s short poem “Theme in Yellow” (1916) is narrated by a pumpkin, making it a classroom favorite. Reading one classic alongside the originals above makes a good Halloween poetry evening.

Halloween Poems — FAQ