Lost And Found

                  Bubba Ray Witlow Jr. couldn't be found,
                  three years old and no where around!
                  Suddenly disappeared right in front of
                  his mama's eyes! Gone, as if whisked
                  away by God Almighty His-self.
                  "Lordy, Lordy God, where is my youngun,
                  he's done been purloined, God Almighty,"
                  cried Cora Lee, dropping to her knees,
                  sobbing and weeping in despair!
                  Grannie Hicks rushed onto the scene,
                  "Lord, I reckon one of them mountain bears
                  done drugged that baby away, to a fate
                  worsen than death hits-self!"
                  The word went out to the Slickum boys,
                  keepers of the hounds, to come, and
                  a message to Deacon Dukes to offer
                  his prayers. He had a way of talking
                  to God, seemed to be first-name friends.
                  The Slickum boys raced in, blue ticks
                  straining at the leashes, howling and
                  raising hell, noses to the ground, sucking
                  dust! "Please, find my little teeny boy,"
                  sobbed Cora Lee, "he's just a youngun,
                  and too much a baby to be away from me!"
                  "Don't you be aworrin' Miss Cora Lee,
                  these here hounds can scent a coon fart
                  ten miles away in a raging hurricane!"
                  They loosed the hounds who took to the
                  woods, ahollerin' and ahowlin', barking up
                  every tree and disappeared into the
                  mountains, their voices soon fading away.
                  The Deacon Dukes came through the gate,
                  black morocco bound Bible clutched tight,
                  surveyed the enigma, and with the Slickums,
                  Grandma and Cora Lee, dropped to his knees,
                  spread his Bible, raised his arms to Heaven,
                  and began speaking to his good friend God!
                  "Oh, God, Almighty, please hear my pleading,
                  bring this child back to his ever lovin' mama,
                  whose heart is torn asunder by this tragedy!"
                  All was quite as if he awaited an answer
                  from his friend God. He strained his ears
                  to Heaven, a soft breeze blew, then he heard
                  God answer him, there it came on the breeze,
                  faint at first, then louder and louder still!
                  "Oh, God Almighty has answered my prayer,
                  the baby's awailing I can hear, from over yonder
                  at the outhouse, now I hear it clear.
                  Bubba Ray Whitlow, Jr. had been found.
                  He had fallen through one of the holes
                  of the two-seat privy and was none the worse.
                  A good scrubbing returned him safe and sound.
      
                  Royce Blackman
                  İMM