Where the River Bends

The smells of the heartland rise from the ground,
When the storm drives in and a dry spell breaks,
They gave him shelter as the rains poured down,
In the kindest acts lie the worst mistakes,
They tethered his horse to the hitching post,
They laid the saddle out across the rail,
He was unconscious and white as a ghost,
In no kind of shape to tell them his tale,
He woke with a start and sat up and cried,
"The Devil's abroad on the plains tonight,
Took my wife and kids right before my eyes,
Down in the valley in the fading light,
'Bout ten miles yonder, 'far as I recall,
Where the river bends and the reeds grow tall."

Danny Clitso spoke: "That ain't no Devil,
That's taken your kin from you this dark night,
This was a spirit of purest evil,
A Skinwalker witch with a vengeful spite,
And she'll take more lives to attain her ends,
Collecting the debt that destroyed her mind,
It was forged in blood where the river bends,
And she'll never rest till it's paid in kind,
See, right about there a village once stood,
Till the soldier blues came to take that land,
When the tribe stood proud in defiant mood,
The brigade came back with their guns in hand,
In one cruel morning they slaughtered them all,
Where the river bends and the reeds grow tall."

And then Danny said: "But she won't harm you,
Less you're fool enough to invite her in,
You'll be safe in here with us all round you,
We'll all keep a watch for the coyote's skin,
...Mind, it ain't always a coyote of course,
She hides in the skins of many a beast,
It could be a dog or even.... a horse,"
A dread silence fell as the talking ceased,
All heads turned slowly to the hitching post,
So their eyes could see that the horse was gone,
The voice from the dark petrified them most,
For it told this night would be their last one,
Now in the valley there's no sound at all,
Where the river bends and the reeds grow tall.

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