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“The Dog Man of The Forest” by Corran Orreaux
Today we present a poem by Corran Orreaux, an aspiring author and poet who posts short fiction online when he isn't making loud deer noises at concerned friends. You can find more of his poems and stories on his Fur Affinity page.
Read by Ta’kom Ironhoof, the Equine Charmer.
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https://thevoice.dog/episode/the-dog-man-of-the-forest-by-corran-orreaux
Transcript
You’re
Speaker:listening
Speaker:to
Speaker:Poetry
Speaker:Month
Speaker:on
Speaker:The
Speaker:Voice
Speaker:of
Speaker:Dog.
Speaker:This
Speaker:is
Speaker:Rob
Speaker:MacWolf
Speaker:your
Speaker:fellow
Speaker:traveler,
Speaker:and
Speaker:Today
Speaker:we
Speaker:present
Speaker:a
Speaker:poem
Speaker:by
Speaker:Corran Orreaux,
Speaker:an
Speaker:aspiring
Speaker:author
Speaker:and
Speaker:poet
Speaker:who
Speaker:posts
Speaker:short
Speaker:fiction
Speaker:online
Speaker:when
Speaker:he
Speaker:isn't
Speaker:making
Speaker:loud
Speaker:deer
Speaker:noises
Speaker:at
Speaker:concerned
Speaker:friends.
Speaker:You
Speaker:can
Speaker:find
Speaker:more
Speaker:of
Speaker:his
Speaker:poems
Speaker:and
Speaker:stories
Speaker:on
Speaker:his
Speaker:Fur
Speaker:Affinity
Speaker:page.
Read
by
Speaker:Ta’kom
Speaker:Ironhoof,
Speaker:the
Speaker:Equine
Speaker:Charmer.
Please
enjoy
“The
Dog
Speaker:Man
Speaker:of
Speaker:The
Speaker:Forest”
Speaker:a poem by Corran Orreaux
Don't go out in
the
Speaker:woods
Speaker:tonight
I
beg
Speaker:ye, don't
Speaker:ignore
Speaker:us!
We
speak
Speaker:of
Speaker:the
Speaker:teeth
Speaker:that
Speaker:bite,
Of
the
Speaker:Dog
Speaker:Man
Speaker:in
Speaker:the
Speaker:forest.
On
two
Speaker:legs
Speaker:does
Speaker:he
Speaker:walk
but
not
Speaker:a
Speaker:man,
Speaker:says
Speaker:I!
Fur
shaggy
Speaker:and
Speaker:white
Speaker:like
Speaker:chalk
All
who
Speaker:see
Speaker:him
Speaker:die!
...Sigh
If ye
insist, then
Speaker:take
Speaker:this
Speaker:cross,
I
beg
Speaker:ye
Speaker:wear
Speaker:it
Speaker:all
Speaker:the
Speaker:ride.
Carry
on
Speaker:in
Speaker:pleasant
Speaker:thought,
And
keep
Speaker:your
Speaker:rifle
Speaker:at
Speaker:your
Speaker:side.
--
I
left
Speaker:the
Speaker:town
Speaker:that
Speaker:very
Speaker:night
With
the
Speaker:good
Speaker:people’s
Speaker:prayers
Speaker:as
Speaker:chorus.
I
promised
Speaker:not
Speaker:to
Speaker:take
Speaker:their
Speaker:warnings
Speaker:light,
And
headed
Speaker:for
Speaker:the
Speaker:forest.
Down
the
Speaker:path
Speaker:I
Speaker:did
Speaker:tread
Under
partial,
Speaker:pallid
Speaker:moon.
Wooden
cross
Speaker:on
Speaker:silver
Speaker:thread--
with
rifle
Speaker:I
Speaker:felt
Speaker:no
Speaker:doom.
Snap!
I
Speaker:heard
Speaker:from
Speaker:branch
Speaker:and
Speaker:bramble,
Off
the
Speaker:path
Speaker:and
Speaker:near
Speaker:the
Speaker:trees!
Were
two
Speaker:eyes
Speaker:that
Speaker:seemed
Speaker:to
Speaker:ramble
“Halt!”
It
Speaker:spoke! “Mercy,
Speaker:please!”
My
rifle
Speaker:raised,
Speaker:I
Speaker:let
Speaker:it
Speaker:drop,
All
shock
Speaker:and
Speaker:pure
Speaker:unease.
“You
know
Speaker:how
Speaker:men
Speaker:talk?”
I
asked
Speaker:the
Speaker:Dog
Speaker:Man
Speaker:with
Speaker:a
Speaker:wheeze.
“I
do,
Speaker:I
Speaker:do!
Speaker:I
Speaker:mean
Speaker:no
Speaker:harm!”
He
spoke
Speaker:and
Speaker:barked
Speaker:with
Speaker:equal
Speaker:ease
“I
give
Speaker:you
Speaker:no
Speaker:cause
Speaker:for
Speaker:alarm!”
He
seemed
Speaker:eager
Speaker:to
Speaker:appease.
Though
my
Speaker:sense
Speaker:of
Speaker:mercy
Speaker:said
to
trust
Speaker:a
Speaker:man
Speaker:who
Speaker:pleads--
“Show
yourself
Speaker:or
Speaker:I’ll
Speaker:shoot
Speaker:you
Speaker:dead!”
I
knew
Speaker:not
Speaker:if
Speaker:he
Speaker:deceives.
Thus,
he
Speaker:did
Speaker:step
Speaker:out
Speaker:for
Speaker:me
in
full
Speaker:moonlight’s shine.
Tall
he
Speaker:was--white
Speaker:and
Speaker:black,
and
in
Speaker:the
Speaker:light
Speaker:he
Speaker:whined.
We
stared
Speaker:at
Speaker:one
Speaker:another,
a
moment
Speaker:short
Speaker:and
Speaker:long
Speaker:in
Speaker:time
Finally,
I
Speaker:did
Speaker:see
Speaker:a
Speaker:brother,
His
eyes
Speaker:were
Speaker:much
Speaker:like
Speaker:mine.
“Do
you
Speaker:have
Speaker:a
Speaker:name,
Speaker:good
Speaker:sir?”
I
asked
Speaker:him
Speaker:with
Speaker:a
Speaker:smile
Speaker:shown
He
looked
Speaker:away,
Speaker:and
Speaker:with
Speaker:a
Speaker:stir,
“Dog
is
Speaker:all I’ve
Speaker:ever
Speaker:known.”
We
walked
Speaker:beside—me
Speaker:and
Speaker:him
and
spoke
Speaker:of
Speaker:our
Speaker:two
Speaker:lives.
His
of
Speaker:wild life
Speaker:and
Speaker:whim
Mine
of
Speaker:quiet
Speaker:pride.
Soon
enough,
Speaker:we
Speaker:neared
Speaker:the
Speaker:edge
of
the
Speaker:forest
Speaker:that
Speaker:he
Speaker:spied.
He
realized
Speaker:our
Speaker:talk
Speaker:would
Speaker:end,
and
he
Speaker:looked
Speaker:as
Speaker:if
Speaker:he’d
Speaker:cried.
He
barked,
Speaker:and
Speaker:with
Speaker:a
Speaker:start
The
Dog
Speaker:Man
Speaker:nuzzled
Speaker:my
Speaker:side.
With
a
Speaker:twinge
Speaker:down
Speaker:in
Speaker:my
Speaker:heart
I
held
Speaker:my
Speaker:wayward
Speaker:guide.
“My
friend,
Speaker:we’ll
Speaker:meet
Speaker:again!”
I
swore
Speaker:as
Speaker:I
Speaker:pet
Speaker:his
Speaker:hide.
“I
cannot
Speaker:say
Speaker:for
Speaker:sure
Speaker:when,
but
my
Speaker:word
Speaker:I
Speaker:will
Speaker:abide!”
Unconvinced,
he
Speaker:gave
Speaker:a
Speaker:wince
In
him
Speaker:a
Speaker:sense
Speaker:of
Speaker:loss.
So,
before
Speaker:I
Speaker:left,
Speaker:I
Speaker:shook
Speaker:my
Speaker:vest
and
handed
Speaker:him
Speaker:my
Speaker:cross.
“I’ll
be
Speaker:back
Speaker:for
Speaker:that,
Speaker:I
Speaker:will.
A
promise
Speaker:I
Speaker:can’t
Speaker:toss!
God
would
Speaker:strike
Speaker:me
Speaker:as
Speaker:his
Speaker:kill
if
I
Speaker:tossed
Speaker:a
Speaker:gifted
Speaker:cross!”
So,
If
Speaker:you
Speaker:see
Speaker:The
Speaker:Dog
Speaker:Man,
Who
roams
Speaker:through
Speaker:the
Speaker:Forest,
I
ask
Speaker:you
Speaker:treat
Speaker:him
Speaker:as
Speaker:kin and
Speaker:clan
I
beg
Speaker:ye,
Speaker:don’t
Speaker:ignore
Speaker:us!
This
was “The
Speaker:Dog
Speaker:Man
Speaker:of
Speaker:The
Speaker:Forest” by Corran Orreaux, read for you by Ta’kom Ironhoof, the
Speaker:Equine
Speaker:Charmer.
Speaker:Thank
Speaker:you
Speaker:for
Speaker:listening
Speaker:to
Speaker:The
Speaker:Voice
Speaker:of
Speaker:Dog.
