The Rougarou

Deep in the bayou, past Boggy Bay, there dwells a beast where Cypress sway.
The Rougarou, it stalks its prey, by dark of night, not light of day.
With teeth like razors, made to tear, soft flesh from bone, beware its stare.
Rougarou take on many guises—and it is man this beast despises.

 
With tapered talons made for ripping, rancid gums, saliva dripping,
its breath so foul, a toxic meth, cold lifeless eyes as blank as death.
Cool clammy flesh—like putrid fish—it makes of man a special dish;
Ferris, spice bush—skunk cabbage too—the foulest smelling, fetid stew.

 
Sparse stringy hair adorns its head, should it latch on, you’re all but dead.
The widest grin you ever saw, once Rougarou opens wide its maw.
It gulps man meat, but hardly chews, then saves the innards for its stews.
Its belly plump as ripened pumpkins, it loves to dine on bayou bumpkins.

 
Avoid the bayou bogs by night, should you get lost, stay out of sight.
Come dark, they stalk their hapless prey--go on, get out—first light of day.

Notes:
**The rougarou (pronounced ROO-ga-roo) has long been a part of Cajun folklore. Stories of the monster have been passed down through Cajun culture from generation to generation.
So what is the rougarou?
It’s basically a werewolf. With the body of a man and a head of a wolf that roams the quiet marshlands of Louisiana looking for its next victim.

According to some legends, a person becomes a rougarou by being attacked by one of the creatures or simply by looking it in its red eyes. The spell can be lifted if the person who’s attacked survives but doesn’t tell anyone about it for a year. Another common ‘blood sucking’ account says that the rougarou is under the spell for 101 days. After that time, the curse is transferred from person to person when the rougarou draws another human’s blood.**