Cancy, Atoka County,
southeastern Oklahoma:
home of the Boggy Bottom Monster.

A reddish-brown ‘squatch
with long arms and legs –
completely bipedal.

Taller than a bear would be
standing on his haunches.
Not something I could deal with.

I had a panic attack.
couldn’t breathe; they had to
haul me off in an ambulance.

Knew of it from local legend,
but didn’t think I’d ever see it.
Now I know it’s real. Real scary!

Not that it was ever violent.
Just snorted, stared me down,
and walked across the road.

Defiant more than angry.
Wasn’t particularly afraid of me.
Thank God I was in the car though.

I didn’t break down until I got
to the Sheriff’s office, began
to tell my tale. Can still hear that snort.

It looked at me, eyeball to eyeball,
and what I saw was intelligence,
a face more human than ape.

Even if I had had a big gun,
it would have been a sin
to shoot this creature. It really would.