“Sleep Well!”
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The scouts
gathered around the crackling fire,
And asked me
about my lonely life,
Why didn’t
you travel across the seas,
Why didn’t
you take a wife?
“I’m growing
old, though I’m still young,
And I’ll
share a tale or two,
I didn’t have
gray hair a few years ago,
But now,
that’s what love will do,
I pointed to
my locks of hair,
Which they
could clearly see were white,
“I’m going
to tell you about a creature,
Who might
bite your neck tonight!”
“These Ouachita
Mountains hide some ghouls,
Oh, dear
ones, they’re hidden very well,
They’re
watching you day and night,
You might
fall under one’s spell,”
“I was smug,
I didn’t believe the tales,
The forests
looked so peaceful and green,
How could
creatures be lurking about,
With
everything appearing so serene?
It was noon,
or maybe three or four,
I strolled
about the forest green,
In a dense
thicket I discovered a clearing,
And the
prettiest girl I’d ever seen,”
Her hair she
brushed until it gleamed,
I was
blinded by the glare,
Her lips
were full and rosy,
I was
captivated by her cold dark stare,
“What brings
you here?” she demanded,
I didn’t
quite know what to say,
I thought
the forest was mine to explore,
But she said
I’d gone astray,
I was off
the given trail, it’s true,
I shouldn’t
have wandered there,
Her rosy
lips pulled back into a snarl,
Revealing fangs
she was ready to bare,
She crouched
low before she sprang,
The forest
suddenly grew quiet,
One thought
flashed through my mind,
“I’m going
to die tonight!”
Now I’m not
a man to brag or boast,
I knew I had
but a few seconds to live,
I cried out, “You’ve already captured my heart,
And I still
have love to give!”
“This
statement caught her by surprise,
She hesitated
while in midair,
Her fangs
drew back into a smile,
Her kiss
caught me square,
It was everything
I needed,
It was wonderful
and took my breath,
She held me
and loved me,
Her kiss was
not a kiss of death,
All this
happened just a few years ago,
Scouts, you’ll
just have to believe,
These Ouachita
Mountains will tell you true,
Because I know
they won’t try to deceive,
If you
should happen on strange folk,
Who snarl
and show their fangs,
Back away
and run for help,
Before they
have hunger pangs,
And love,
let it be your last resort,
Just before
your final fight,
See these
wounds upon my neck,
That’s why
my hair is white,
Yes, I love
her, I truly do,
But I wouldn’t
recommend my fate,
She thirsts
after my blood,
I have to
hurry, my love can’t wait,”
“If you
wander away from the group,
Be sure to
take a friend,”
Their eyes
were wide and very big,
As my tale
came to an end,
“The forest
is beautiful but take care,
Creatures live
close by the trail,
Now I must
hurry and be inside where it’s safe,
Remember my
story, and be sure to Sleep Well!”
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