Forest Frolics

In a haunted forest a ghost wandered along
its head the bust of a poet who had been dead for long
they were filled with a strange aromatic smell
the specifics of it memory could not tell,
a great lover of books was this ghost
and would haunt the library the most
they generally kept to themselves
spending days going through the bookshelves,
until one day a pumpkin carving competition
was announced to all who would take the mission
so it was that the ghost Merry-go-round
was with a strange group found
of other ghosts, people, and animal folk
the once solitary ghost now spoke,
as the once bountiful pumpkin patch
was now empty with only a few of a once plentiful batch
a clue; square footprints leading away
of their identity none could clearly say
the only lead led to a sleeping man-crow
of the smashed pumpkins they did not know
too addled by their love of drink
they were in no state to think
so onwards into the night the part went
deep into the night went their descent,
until they wandered into the darker wood
further travel would lead to nothing good
turning back to then turn in to sleep
the mystery would have to keep
with the morrow being the competition day
onwards the assembled group went their way,
massing in a field with others from elsewhere
yet the competition was hardly fair
as the ghost and some of his associates
were as pumpkin-less as empty plates
and their tables kept falling down
to the glee of the assembled town
while the other village has many to spare
they were reluctant to even share,
until a clockwork creature shambled in
causing quite a commotion and din
as it sought out to something to take
only a pumpkin would satisfy its slake,
so it ended that Merry-go-round having a pumpkin and table borrowed
politely assented giving the creature their pumpkin as in etiquette's code.