Hole

M.L. Harju

~

There was an old man of Nairn-

We called him Shadow Mac because

his top went grey one day,

when he was just a boy.

There are many stories about this but here's the one that holds.

He did what we were not meant to do.

He went down a hole in the sand.

He went down a hole and came out with horror.

and the adults used to say- don't do it- don't you go down into the darkness.

but Shadow did- and quick as a whip-

three witches flew up his bum.

They didn't stop there

they took his head too.

and that's why he came back a cripple.

Mad-eyed.

Tongue-tied.

Tricked by witches.

Twisted by the wierd warbling of time.

Shadowed, dusty.

From a hole in the sand.

Curious boys take strange candy they say

and that day

a boy left in the morning

and walked home weary,

whorled,

old.

Text copyright M.L. Harju 2005

Illustrations copyright Joel Stewart 2005