Haunted House

A scribble-scrabble comes from the wall
Thumpity-bump from down the hall.
In the gloom of night, I stand alone,
Frozen from fright in a haunted home.
Closer, still closer, comes the steady beat
Of unseen claws and unseen feet.

And then with a yell and a dreadful din,
They swarm the room and trap me in,
Monsters and witches and men missing heads
And ghosts and zombies—the living dead.
They laugh and they shriek, all in delight
To hear me scream and to see my fright.

Circling, closer with ghastly grins,
Ghostly figures howl and spin.
I see them snarl, I see them leer,
I cower and tremble as they come near.
Vampires swoop by me, clad in capes,
Bats fly past my ear as I try to escape.

I race out the room—they follow in chase—
I run through the hall to get out of this place.
I burst through the door and shriek, for I find
That standing before me is Frankenstein!
I know I’m trapped—there’s no way out,
I can’t escape the haunted house.