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It was a boogren in the old shed what broke my toys to make me cry and Momma'd send me into the woods to find a switch onaccounta she'd think I'd done it onaccounta I'd been mad. But I'd be mad onaccounta the boogren'd broke my toys.
I'd walk out under the live oak and the littlest wind would start those shiny brown leaves a slithering and whisperin onaccounta the whole place was filled with spirits. And that wind'd go straight direct up my shirt and I'd know that boogren was followin, watchin me cry and tasting any tears that would fall onta them shiny brown leaves.
It was one time when I was walkin and I could still hear Momma screamin, "You find a good one, hear, you don't find me no switch that's gonna snap — you getta good green one or I'ma hafta find me one and I'ma find me a good green biggun!" I was cryin real good onaccounta the boogren had snapped my bicycle and I couldn't reckon how momma thought I'd done it, so I was cryin real good and I could feel the boogren real close and I could hear it laughing through the Spanish Moss soes I just stopped right there. And I wudn't cryin' no more.
"I ain't sad no more, boogren," I said, "I'm angry like Hell-fire." I'd heard that Hell-fire in church and it sounded real hot and mean and I was feelin real hot and mean. The moss stopped laughing and I heard an old dead limb snap and come fallin to the ground. That old boogren was standing right up in front of me next thing I knew. He was made of smoke I think, I'd seen him before and he was sometimes thinner er thicker, but this time he was like the smoke of old tires like uncle Jimmy used ta burn and momma said it wasna good a him to do that — onaccounta it was a bad smoke.
That boogren was a bad smoke right then and I thought like he was gonna break me like he done my toys. That bad smoke was thinin out and stickin on the moss and leaves above him. They was lookin sick up there and soon they started ta fallin outa the trees and landin out around. He was just astanding and asmokin.
I heard Momma yellin, "You out there, boy?! I'ma coma lookin! If I gotta come inta them woods, I'ma find me a good green switch!" I started gettin a little angry with Momma bout that, I wasn't gonna cry no more bout her switches neither. I started gettin mad at her and that boogren started walkin — started walkin right past me and towards where I could hear momma shoutin.
Suddenly, I knew — Mama'd been right — I had broken them toys. That was my boogren lived out in that old shed.
Ryan David Undeen, the shaved satyr, has lost his Gaia and wakes at midnight under the spell of heart-break. Doubtless, he will overcome the demons; the stark darkness is the domain of hungry spirits, but with harmonica to fill the gaping space of absent pipes, this piece of Pan will find a way to pacify. That said, chant an Ohm in his direction and send some Chi for his son.
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12 May 2011, 07:35