A Hollow Tale

A mountain man is Fillmore
but there are no mountains
where Fillmore lives
deep in a hollow.

He’s never had a job
and doesn’t want one now
spends his days huntin’ coon
squirrel and possum
and that catamount
lore says is black.

At night he reads by
lantern light with pit bull
Satan poised at his feet.
Folks in town know Fillmore
doesn’t feature people
so no one comes callin’.

He feeds Satan
but not too much.
He wants Satan hungry
when the thief of night
comes through the window
the way that stranger did
a few years back and Satan
had a midnight snack.
Since then Satan waits
poised at Fillmore’s feet
primed for another snack.

Donal Mahoney, nominated for Best of the Net and Pushcart prizes, Donal Mahoney has had poetry and fiction published in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Some of his work can be found by clicking here…