Stranger Dreams Have Happened

[couchgrouch]

Stranger Dreams Have HappenedHe built a stick n deerhide tent, then sat me on a stumpsaid "don't stray far from camp, this close to the swamp"told me 'bout a hermit, with a skull ring on his handhunters found his corncob pipe, on the cruel quicksandthen he said not to worry, 'bout eyes in hollow logsstranger dreams have happened, they crawl up from the bogwell, a deer poked his nose in, right around midnightDad was snorin' softly, wine jug by his sideso I followed that deer, with my cap gun cockedthen I heard a feeble moan, siftin' through the fogthought I saw two antlers, slowly goin' downbut stranger dreams have happened, sleeping on Creole groundwhen the sand stopped bubblin', I wondered what to doI was knee deep in forever, 'fore I knew it had me, toothough I fired my cap gun, Dad never heard a thingpulled out by two hands of bone, one with a pale skull ringwell, I was still shakin', come morning in our tentcos stranger dreams have happened, but you don't wake from themafter I told that story, I heard my son pray aloudhe zipped up his sleeping bag, to keep the bad dreams outthough Dad was convinced back then, I'd just had a nightmareeven now on the bayou, there's pipe smoke in the airso I've got respect for, skull rings in the darkcos stranger dreams have happened, that's how legends start(c)2006 Robert George