The bayou pulses with a symphony of fog and nightmare creatures
Fireflies flashing and the croak of frogs are the only southern comforts
This is a slosh through oily waters and the weeds that fill them
Remorseless in these tangles he methodically hunts
Shifting ever so fluidly through a watery basement
The gator is the king of this murky kingdom
He was on his dinner run for flesh and blood
No shame in his game he attacks a lame doe
The teeth stilettos in and shreds the muscle
Then there's a struggle and the gator goes into a death roll
As the birds hustle off in a pattern against the evening sun
That even at dusk made the air and lands a muggy sludge
Rain started to fall and the ground acts just like a sponge
Used to being wet, the soil breathes with creepy life
And the mouth is represented by this prehistoric beast
At the bottom of the bottom you have to have thick skin
And for a cold blooded animal you have to prove yourself
A pinnacle predator the gator grows cocky and pompous
With a full belly he lazily floats in the steamy marsh
Hoping to spot a dog or cat or even a snake to harass
Low and behold he see's something even better
A young girl's blonde hair sticks out over the grass
She being no more than ten was playing alone on the bank
The gator dips his snout under the silt filled silky water
And in his head he imagines the thrill of scaring the girl
Now he moves as a shadow in the waves of dark
The gator continues to think with my rough scales
And bone shattering jaws she will surely cry
Running in fear up the hill never to return again
But to his surprise she glanced up from her flower picking
Noticing the eyes that shown like two silver moons
Over the mucky and sleek black river surface
But in amazement the gator didn't frighten the girl
She simply picked up a rock skipping it four times across the pond
The gator says to himself she is more stupid than I thought
Still when I get close she will of course have to flea
Instead as he solemnly approached she was filled with glee
He raised his head as if to advance on the small child
She stood her ground and braced her bouquet with fingers curled
The gator not believing what he was seeing stopped abruptly
Just to ask the little girl the first question he has ever asked a man
I am the judge, jury and executioner of this here swamp
And you are just the right size for a late night snack
I could take a leg for later or an arm if I needed a hand
Little one do you not know the danger you are in
The girl responds with an innocent smile and a grin
And hands the gator a handful of beautiful daisy flowers
My name is Emma she said to the gator in a cheerful manner
And before we go any further I will answer your question
I do not fear you because I love your kind
The gator interrupts but we are cold and vile
So Emma ask in a curious tone then why didn't you attack
The gator groans I had a rather big feast not an hour before
And as delicious and supple as you look I can't eat anymore
Yes I know I sensed your thoughts Emma said
And I have known this whole time you were no threat
But while you have been getting fat off the land
I have been honing my talents with a new friend
But before the gator could even ponder
The consequences of her cryptic words
What wandered up from behind was Death
Aptly named for his position in their relationship
The twenty foot python was a stealthy killer
And before you know it the life is crushed out
And the breathe is gone from the gator's chest
What a tasty treat is gator meat between best friends
One so clever and sweet the other one strong and mean
Call em' the bayou slayers, lil' Emma and her pet snake, Death
The cute, the bad and the ugly of this dirty Mississippi mouth