BOBS OF THE BAYOU

You lost, sweetheart? Nobody gets lost here. They get found. And there’s Bob. Which Bob? Right. That Bob. Bare feet sinking in the black bayou Ram skull watching while the mist rolls through Wooden little faces hanging from the trees Purple beads turning in the southern breeze Black lace wet beneath the moon Cypress shadows swallowing the gloom Brother at my shoulder, never far away We were raised where dark water remembers what you say Chains on my coat, mud on my boots Old boards creaking over tangled roots Staff in my hand, mask on my face I know every shadow in this place My sister brings trouble, I bring some too Neither one of us knows when enough will do Then the whole swamp trembles from the shore And something enormous comes asking for more Brother, sister, side by side Black water rising with the changing tide Purple light moving underneath the fog Don’t worry. That’s just Bob. WE’RE THE BOBS OF THE BAYOU COME ON IN IF YOU DARE WOODEN DOLLS IN THE CYPRESS BLACK FEATHERS EVERYWHERE BROTHER AND SISTER WITH A DRAGON AT OUR SIDE THREE BOBS STANDING WHERE THE DARK WATER HIDES WE’RE THE BOBS OF THE BAYOU REMEMBER THE NAME ONE BRINGS THE VOODOO ONE WALKS THROUGH THE RAIN ONE IS A DRAGON SO LET’S MAKE THIS CLEAR BOB DOESN’T LIKE STRANGERS GETTING TOO NEAR I make little Bobs out of wood and thread Tiny black coats and ridiculous heads Hang them from the dragon in purple and black He carries every charm across his back Skulls on his horns, beads under his chin Symbols burning violet beneath his skin Every little doll swings when he turns Every mark on his face gives off a purple burn You decorated the dragon again? He likes it. I stand corrected. People tell stories from towns away About two masked figures where the water turns gray They speak of candlelight moving at night Purple signs glowing beyond the light Some swear wings covered the moon Some heard laughter somewhere in the gloom Some say leave when the water starts to shake That part is actually good advice. Brother, sister, dragon behind Three Bayou Bobs of a different kind No master, no servant, no one left alone This black water kingdom is the only home we’ve known WE’RE THE BOBS OF THE BAYOU COME ON IN IF YOU DARE WOODEN DOLLS IN THE CYPRESS BLACK FEATHERS EVERYWHERE BROTHER AND SISTER WITH A DRAGON AT OUR SIDE THREE BOBS STANDING WHERE THE DARK WATER HIDES WE’RE THE BOBS OF THE BAYOU REMEMBER THE NAME ONE BRINGS THE VOODOO ONE WALKS THROUGH THE RAIN ONE IS A DRAGON SO LET’S MAKE THIS CLEAR BOB DOESN’T LIKE STRANGERS GETTING TOO NEAR People always ask which one of us is dangerous. They assume it’s the dragon. That’s adorable. We share the water We share the night We stand together when something ain’t right Brother beside sister, dragon overhead Nobody walks alone where the cypress roots spread No master, no servant, no creature beneath Three Bobs bound together by the mud underneath Laugh at the dolls Laugh at the name But don’t laugh too long When the dragon knows your face WE’RE THE BOBS OF THE BAYOU BLACK WATER, BLACK SKY WOODEN BOBS DANGLING WHEN THE BIG BOB FLIES BROTHER AND SISTER NEVER BREAKING THE LINE ONE SOUL OF THE BAYOU THREE BOBS BY DESIGN WE’RE THE BOBS OF THE BAYOU FROM THE ROOTS TO THE FOG ONE MASK, TWO MASKS AND ONE MASSIVE BOB IF YOU SEE PURPLE BURNING THROUGH THE CYPRESS AT NIGHT DON’T RUN DON’T HIDE JUST PRAY BOB LIKES YOU TONIGHT You made another doll. Yep. Is that supposed to be me? Yep. Why is the head so big? Even the dragon is laughing. Good Bob. Brother. Sister. Dragon. Bobs of the Bayou.