Ghost

STAVE I: MARLEY'S GHOST

MARLEY was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

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the ghost of my unborn sister visits me each night. there's never anything to say, so we just sit together and watch the moon.

Rather late in life, I came to the distinctly frightening experience of seeing 'ghosts' for a certain length of time. Part of the fear arose from the fact that I didn't know or recognise any of them (both male and female, some dressed in formal eighteenth century gear – and all of them seemingly either disapproving or downright malignant in intent). It wasn't until I came to the last one in the series that I felt some relief. As I discovered from an old photo after the event, I'm fairly certain it was my greatgrandfather – gazing out at me from under the picture of an owl and sporting a neat white imperial beard. He gave me a totally reassuring smile.

People often make fun of West Indian folk spirits, such as jumbies, loup-garous, stone donkeys and other ghosts.

But are these spirits any sillier than pretty, effeminate white boys with wings, or snarling men, brilliant red, with hooved feet, tails and horns?

A ghost is something we create in our minds as an excuse for our fear of the unknown. A man who makes no excuses fears no ghosts.