there was this t-shirt on one of the avenues - hanging on the rack - it read "this is my halloween costume" i always wanted to get it - but i was a young and walking around the city with words across your chest was an invitation for confrontation - and i think it said "my fuckin' halloween costume" - i was teaching preschool downtown - it would end up being another inside out shirt - this is my halloween mask i wear it all year round - i get in everywhere masks are required - each arm is strong enough to crack a skull and like me, my mask is a loner - stays down on the bottom of the ocean creating a community of survivors - cephalopod wading where i want to be - commiserating with horseshoe crabs - betting on bare feet and jellyfish - who will leave the shore without getting stung - who will stay and surf when hurricane season comes - it's a good mask - i take notes on oyster shells , steal their pearls and flip tourists in kayaks who toss fiji bottles into the waves