Them Woods

There weren't a day quite like it
ever since I can recall.
The sun was beatin' brightly
and there weren't a cloud at all.

Bein' fixed upon the notion that
I'd bring me back a 'coon,
I called my dogs around me
now I reckon it was Noon.

The hounds all hopped aboard my truck
and barked and whined to go.
I prayed a little, checked my gun
and left, the dogs in tow.

Now I done heard some stories
'bout the holler where I went
but I never heard no facts
about them "woods the Devil sent."

I just couldn't help but figure
if the people's all so scared
there's bound to be a healthy lot
of 'coons a livin' there.

The road began to linger
so I thought I better stop
and work my own way through the trees
down from the mountain top.

At first the woods was normal
weren't nuthin' seemed too strange,
twas further down the mountainside
that things begun to change.

The sounds you'd hear a forest make
they all but disappeared.
The birds,
the breeze
and all the trees
was hushed like they was scared.

The sun, it damn near left us, too
the woods went sudden dark
the summer's heat
turned awful cool
and the dogs began to bark.

At what, I ain't a notion
weren't nuthin' there to see
and suddenly
I felt a wave
of fear wash over me.

Like Satan come upon us there
to catch us all alone
The feeling of his presence
went and chilled me to the bone.

I'd forgotten what my Daddy said
'bout what it takes to be a man
and damn near left my skin behind
as fast as I done ran!

Now, I had heard some stories
'bout the holler where I went
but I ain't never goin' back
to them woods the devil sent!






***Contest entry: Prompt: Horror Poem, Line Count: 56, Word Count: 313