Swamp Fiend, Jeff Young (September 2026)

Swamp Fiend

In the thick sticks of Honey Island Swamp,
Between Louisiana and the border
Of Mississippi—hell-patch wetlands here—
There lives, supposedly, a beast, man-like
And covered in hair, standing eight feet tall.
At least that’s how the story goes, my dear.
And it’s an old one, too. As I recall,
The first reports of something monstrous roaming
The swamp began to surface in the sixties.
Accounts from fishermen and hunters detailed
Bizarre, unnatural findings: fearsome growls,
Mysterious footprints, the mangled carcass
Of a black bear, and odd displays—in clusters—
Of the remains of alligator gar
Along the outer banks. Perhaps the most
Disturbing find was partial human remains:
A female femur and two toothless skulls.
The rest? Who knows? Eyewitnesses are few.
It’s sad. And it’s unfortunate for you.
At times, some sportsmen do still come to visit
This place. In fact, a Mister Harlan Ford,
In nineteen-seventy-four, captured what’s
The only photographic evidence:
A short and grainy clip on Super 8.
And I remember Harlan. I was here.
Of course, he never did see me. Few do.
Again, it is unfortunate for you.
And now I hear the news of these two teens;
They up and disappeared. It’s been about a week,
Or maybe more. They probably got their pictures
Front page, those two. I guess your friend, well, maybe
He shoulda listened. Yes, he shoulda listened.
The locals in Slidell don’t matter none.
They’re worried about the beast. There’s lots of talk.
They wonder if it’s real, a myth or hoax.
But now you know. Our secret, me and you.
Yes, I know. It’s unfortunate for you.