Adeline Strik

Deep in Groundhog Holler not far from Troublesome Crik,
Lived a sad and lonely woman by the name of Adeline Strik
She had a spotted hound dog, a rooster and a hen,
A one-eyed yellow milk-cow, a mule she called Sweet Ben.

Her past lay shroud in myst'ry, but rumors often flew
With folks around the holler 'bout things they thought they knew
Concerning rare, amazing treasure buried deep within the ground,
Near a blood-red blooming rosebush, guarded by the hound.

Folks also talked of long-lost loves, as there'd been twenty or more
Mysteriously each had vanished just like the one before.
Adeline seemed so lonely, yet folks just rolled their eyes,
For in whispers soft they claimed, indeed, that she brought about their demise.

One day up Groundhog Holler, a fearsome wind did howl
And in its wake a feller by the name of Winsome Powell.
Ole Win, as folks did know him, thought dear Addy he would wed
His love was for the treasure, though, beneath her flower bed.

With phony words of courtship and gifts clutched to his side
Win persuaded dear sweet Addy to be his blushing bride.
He settled in beside her and fine-tuned his evil plan
Yet all the while he played the part of faithful, loving man.

One night as she lay sleeping, dreams floating 'round and 'round
Win slipped from bed and to the yard with 'treats' for spotted hound.
He stood before the rosebush, head filled with ill intent
And when poor hound with shudder passed, cruel Win felt quite content

He found a spade and flung the soil toward a star-strewn sky
Till mounded earth surrounded him and glimmer caught his eye.
He stood in rapt amazement as it shimmered bright and bold
Then leapt o'er the edge to claim his prize--a feather made of gold.

From the deep Win tried to climb, the treasure clutched so tight
When baleful apparition filled his eyes with fright
A screaming cock with feathers flamed and eyes ablaze with fires
Wings as broad as dragons bold and spurs like scimitars.

It flogged his head, he cried in pain, in hopes his bride to wake
But in her dreams sweet music played and drowned the screams he'd make
Soon Win was but a tattered soul lying in the deep, dark hole
With spade and hound and rumbled earth and a feather made of gold.

The sun split the sky next morning, and the red cock he did crow
Boastful the sound woke dear Adeline, immediately she did know
She gazes at the earth near the rosebush, tears for the dead arise
And through the yard came a-strutting the cock with the fire in his eyes.

Deep in Groundhog Holler, not far from Troublesome Crik
A broken-hearted woman weeps, her name is Adeline Strik
Folks go right on a talking, but little do they know
The treasure's not sweet Adeline's, but the rooster's with eyes aglow




If you're from the South, you probably know what a 'crik' is. For those of you who don't know, it's a creek, or a stream. I spelled it phonetically so it would rhyme with Strik. Also, 'fire' rhymes with the 'tar' in scimitar if you're from Kentucky, so don't go tellin' me that my poem doesn't rhyme! ;)