Whoever Shall I Be On Halloween?
Maybe I could go as Cleopatra,
the Queen of the Nile.
With garb so alluring,
I could certainly beguile.
Or I could try another era-
in Elizabethan dress,
I could be Queen Bess.
How about the glamorous Jean Harlow?
A blonde wig I would need to borrow.
But with that hourglass figure,
it might be simpler to go as Trigger.
From the pages of “Gone With the Wind,”
I could dress as Scarlett O’Hara.
As this fetching Southern Belle,
I certainly could cast quite a spell!
Maybe I could go as a 1920’s flapper
and do the Charleston with flair-
in a dress with fringe
and a headband around my hair.
But with my knee being a little arthritic,
do I dare?
How about a ballet dancer-
or one of Santa’s reindeer,
named Prancer?
Perhaps I could dress down in a bikini
but with too great an expanse in the rear,
it could be quite a disaster-
I fear!
How about a fortune teller
with a crystal ball?
I could suddenly become clairvoyant
and read the future for all.
Or why not the famous
“Minnie the Moocher”
from the catchy Cab Calloway tune . . .
with all of those “Hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi’s
and Whoa-a-a-a-ah’s,”
I just may end up
the star of the show!
~ Lora Hollings
Cab Calloway – Minnie the Moocher
Minnie the Moocher is the unforgettable, larger-than-life heroine of Minnie the Moocher, brought to life by the electrifying voice and swagger of Cab Calloway. She’s a bold, streetwise woman of glamour and trouble—living fast, loving danger, and chasing luxury in a world that’s both dazzling and dark. Wrapped in rhythm, rebellion, and jazz-age bravado, Minnie becomes more than a character—she’s a symbol of freedom, temptation, and the seductive thrill of living outside the rules. Her story, told through Calloway’s iconic call-and-response “Hi-de-hi” scat, turns music into theater and legend, making Minnie a timeless figure of American jazz folklore.
Insight from this poem
This poem is a playful, imaginative journey through identity, memory, and transformation, using the lens of Halloween costumes to explore the many selves a person carries within—much like the spirit celebrated in A Special Treat for Halloween, where imagination and nostalgia intertwine through seasonal reflection. Each character choice—Cleopatra, Queen Elizabeth I, Jean Harlow, Scarlett O’Hara, the flapper, Minnie the Moocher, Prancer, and the fortune teller—represents a different era, personality, and kind of power: beauty, authority, glamour, rebellion, fantasy, humor, and mystery. Beneath the lighthearted tone lies a deeper reflection on aging, self-awareness, and acceptance, as the speaker gently acknowledges physical limits while refusing to abandon creativity or joy. Humor becomes a form of grace, turning vulnerability into charm. The poem celebrates imagination as a timeless refuge, showing that transformation doesn’t require perfection—only playfulness and courage. In the end, Halloween becomes more than a costume choice; it becomes a symbol of freedom, reinvention, and the enduring desire to explore who we are and who we might still become.