Autumn Witch by Kelsey Helton
In the eyes of the autumn witch
The captured cobweb droplets
Form lectures
And the whispers in the dry wood
Give prophecies
A walnut by a pond means death
But drink in the sweet mullein smoke
To feel your breaths ease
Pop an acorn cap to study the ridges
String it with silver to keep safe
Turn your pockets over
As you pass the graveyard
So haunts can’t hitch a ride
Put out copper and cinnamon cream
With your jack-o-lantern
For the black cat spirit
To taste
Don’t step in the circle of morels
And never give your name
But learn the difference
Of black and blue cohosh
When a baby’s on the way
If something moves
In the moonlight
And calls out for help
Lock the door and load the gun
Sleep with an iron nail
If the crows come alone
To the cornfield
Prepare your heart for hurt
And if the snakes nest
Under the pickup
Bury a stitched lemon
In the ground
Heal the briar scratch
With woodstove cider
And granny’s favorite afghan
On your lap
Holly and honey roast
Come in on the late November breeze
And the autumn witch knows
Her time is short
But if she is anything
It is patient
And the mason jars of okra
Will last till she is full
Kelsey Helton is a junior at Leslie County High School, whose work has appeared in The Notebook and local newspapers. She spends her free time salamander hunting, stargazing, and hopes to study environmental science.