tanka set

needin' deliverance 

'preacher-man put yo 

hands on me

drive this devil out...

dew on climbing ivy 

burning 

a vanilla-pine candle

tonight 

two women in the dark

arguing loudly

puttin' on 

a pot of Decaf...

slowly time 

creeps toward

5 am 

scarin' us kids

with stories 

of the Lougarou 

comin'  

bayou breeze tonight 

*Lougarou is a character in Louisiana Creole folklore...a kind of werewolfish-like creature 

prayer circles 

at the Catholic Church

Creole elders

 turn up their noses

at those 'Americans' 

*lala played 

at Our Mother of Comfort 

*Nonk Gabriel 

smells strongly 

of liquor 

*Lala is another name for Zydeco

*Nonk means Uncle in Louisiana Creole 

for hours 

starin' at a photo

of 'Pop Coon' 

my 

*gro-pépær

*great-grandfather in Louisiana Creole 

mention Louisiana

everyone 

thinks of New Orleans...

*ètoufé krèbis 

simmers s

*crawfish etoufee in Louisiana Creole 

mo famiy sor

Bayou Tesh é

Akadie...

southern Louisiana and

southern Texas

*my family's from

*Bayou Teche and Acadia Parish in Louisiana Creole