Boy and Critter

[couchgrouch]

Boy and CritterPeople said that kid was on the slow sideand his poor hound had mange on his hidebut no one cared enough to ask their namessome thought that mutt shoulda been put downothers swore he pulled ol' Wilbur outwhen his country shack went up in flamesthey haunted highways after dark, harvesting bottles n cansneighbors said they stayed late, to avoid his drunk old manyou'd see 'em playin' by the creeklookin' scrawny and sickthat stoopid dog-a-chasin'a chewed up fetchstickbut when moons rose slow and winds blew bitternight shadows were the only shelterfor boy and critterwell, neighbors heard yellin' in the nightfor once it seemed that kid put up a fightnext day the postman found his pa 'round backthough people in these parts are pretty strictpapers said there's no way they'd convicta boy whose scars ran as deep as thatthat dog waited outside, the courthouse each daynow they say that kid's better off, in foster care near Sante Febut they once roamed washboard roads n alleywaysfeeding off appletrees, grubs and heaven's gracetheir friendship is something to considerbecause the world was a strangerto boy and critterthough some claim that kid got to keep his mangy dogWilbur says he saw him lyin' on some road in the fognow country lanes are piling up with cans and litterthey were gone before anyone missed boy and critter(c)2007 Robert George