• Submit Poetry
  • Support SCP
  • About Us
  • Members
  • Join
Saturday, July 18, 2026
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
No Result
View All Result
Home Poetry Culture

‘The Legend of Ole Stingy Jack’: A Poem by Kevin Matthew Hayes

October 31, 2023
in Culture, Poetry
A A
1
poem/hayes/culture

.

The Legend of Ole Stingy Jack

Do you recall Ole Stingy Jack?
Whose tricks cost him a great set back?
They say he tricked the Devil twice,
But when he died he paid the price.
 
At first denied the pearly gate
And left to wander shadows late.
The Devil did show some remorse,
And gave an ember as his light source.
 
So now he roams each Autumn night
With nothing but the Devil’s light.
Placed there behind a hand-carved pattern
We now know as the jack-o-lantern.

 

.

.

Kevin Matthew Hayes is a freelance writer who resides in the Gainesville, FL area. In addition to being a member of the Society of Classical Poets, he is a member of The Authors Guild.

ShareTweetPin
The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary.
Read Our Comments Policy Here

RandomPoems

‘The Philadelphia Pepper Pot Legend’ and Other Poetry by S.M. Westerlie
Culture

‘The Philadelphia Pepper Pot Legend’ and Other Poetry by S.M. Westerlie

February 20, 2014

  The Philadelphia Pepper Pot Legend This day in 1777, American soldiers, at Valley Forge, camped. By hunger and winter's...

Poetry for Good Friday 2019
Beauty

‘A Mother’s Eyes’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

April 2, 2021

. She burns to bear his burden (take the weight) But he is far beyond her guiding reach. Beyond her...

Next Post
poem/coats/beauty

'All Saints Day' and Other Spiritual Sonnets by Coignard, Translated by Margaret Coats

Two Poems for Dia de los Muertos, by Brian Yapko

Two Poems for Dia de los Muertos, by Brian Yapko

‘Child’s Laughter’: A Poem by Jane Schulert

'Child's Laughter': A Poem by Jane Schulert

Comments 1

  1. Cheryl Corey says:
    3 years ago

    Cute little poem, Kevin. I like your slant rhyme of “pattern” with “lantern”.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Theresa Werba on ‘American Dreams’: A Poem by Adam SediaJuly 18, 2026

    Congrats on your Finalist win Adam, such an excellently-wrought and powerful poem!

  2. Theresa Werba on ‘The 51st State’: A Poem by James SaleJuly 18, 2026

    Congrats James on your Finalist win!!!

  3. Brian Yapko on ‘Americans Cross the Rubicon’: A July 4th Poem by Brian YapkoJuly 18, 2026

    Thank you very much indeed, Adam. The Civil War and Pearl Harbor were decisive enough. I wanted a full range…

  4. Theresa Werba on ‘Two Fateful American Coin Flips’: A Poem by James A. TweedieJuly 18, 2026

    Jim, congrats on your win!!!

  5. BDW on ‘For Those We Never Meet’: A Poem by Aneesh AgarwalJuly 18, 2026

    Mr. Agawal has generalized the largest labour insurrection in America from the early 20th century—1921, that cost the lives of…

Subscribe to Daily Poems

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,595 other subscribers

Recent Poems

  • Winners and Rankings of The Great American Poetry Competition
  • ‘The Gold Star Mother’: A Poem by Gerard Maritato
  • ‘An American Dash’: A Poem by Linda Ellis
  • ‘The Anonymous Soldier’: A Poem by Lucy Lind
  • ‘For Those We Never Meet’: A Poem by Aneesh Agarwal
  • ‘Ben Franklin’s Copper Fugio Cent’: A Poem by Geoffrey Smagacz
  • Three Brief Poems by Luxorius, Translated by Joseph S. Salemi
  • ‘The American Spirit’: A Poem by Dusty Grein
  • ‘The Ballad of Zebulon Pike’: A Poem by M.D. Skeen
  • ‘We Are the Ones’ and Other Poetry by Cheryl Corey
  • ‘My Pyjamas!’ and Other Poems by Susan Jarvis Bryant
  • ‘A Snowy Egret’: A Poem by Bruce Dale Wise
  • ‘The Swearing-in of Calvin Coolidge’: A Sonnet by Robert W. Crawford
  • ‘Ballad of the Sequoia’: A Poem by Lauren V. Leon
  • ‘The 51st State’: A Poem by James Sale
  • ‘La Uva’ (The Grape): A Poem by Michael Pietrack
  • ‘There’s Blood that Flows Within the Stripes’: A Poem by Lauren V. Leon
  • ‘Birdsong’: A Poem by Jeffrey Essmann
  • ‘The Melody That Lingers On’ and Other Poetry by John McPherson
  • ‘American Dreams’: A Poem by Adam Sedia
  • ‘An American Fabius’: A Poem by John Hernandez
  • ‘Vernal Clinic’ and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson
  • ‘Omaha Beach’ and Other Poetry by Bradford Skow
  • ‘Music to Part the Veil’: A Poem by T.M. Moore
  • ‘A Gentleman’s Guide to Losing a War’ and Other Poetry by Arnon Peterson
  • ‘Black Shuck’: A Poem by Martin Briggs
  • ‘When the Last World War II Veteran Passes Away’: A Poem by N.S. Boone
  • ‘A Fallow Year at Worthy Farm’: A Poem by Paul A. Freeman
  • ‘Outstanding in Afghanistan’: A Poem by Jared S. Chang
  • ‘250 More’: A Poem by Miguel Moreno

Categories

  • Acrostic
  • Alexandroid
  • Alliterative
  • Art
  • Best Poems
  • Blank Verse
  • Chant Royal
  • Classical Poets Live
  • Clerihew
  • Covid-19
  • Deconstructing Communism
  • Educational
  • Epic
  • Epigrams and Proverbs
  • Essays
    • Interviews with Poets
    • Poetry Reviews
  • Featured
  • From the Society
  • Great Poets
    • Dante Alighieri
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Homer
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Robert Frost
    • William Blake
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
  • Human Rights in China
  • Limerick
  • Love Poems
  • Music
  • Pantoum
  • Performing Arts
  • Poetry
    • Beauty
    • Children's Poems
    • Culture
    • Ekphrastic
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Humor
    • Riddles
  • Poetry Challenge
  • Poetry Contests
  • Poetry Forms
    • Curtal Sonnet
    • Haiku
  • Poetry Readings
  • Rhupunt
  • Rondeau
  • Rondeau Redoublé
  • Rondel
  • Rubaiyat
  • Sapphic Verse
  • Satire
  • Science
  • Sestina
  • Shape Poems
  • Short Stories
  • Song Lyrics
  • Sonnet
  • Symposium
  • Terrorism
  • Terza Rima
  • The Environment
  • Translation
  • Triolet
  • Video
  • Villanelle

Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Submit Poetry
  • Become a Member
  • Members List
  • Support the Society
  • Advertisement Placement
  • Comments Policy
  • Terms of Use

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books

© 2025 SCP. WebDesign by CODEC Prime.