Mississippi night-bird ( the ballad of Chris Kelley )

Based on a true story of someone I knew. His name was Chris Kelley, and we grew up in Ellisville, Mississippi. When I moved to Waynesboro, Mississippi, I lost touch with him, and our paths diverged. He got caught up in some shady dealings, and one night he was taken out to the swamps of Bogahomah Lake, shot in the head, and his body was set on fire. His body was found by a hunter, still smoking. Years later, out of the blue, I thought of him, and found the podcast on my phone and my wife's, and I listened to it. The idea for the ballad lingered in my head until I finally worked out the words. His murder was never solved. The man I remembered was a good kid. I don't know who he was in the end, but all I remembered was a friend in a town where I didn't have many. This song is dedicated to his memory. T.G. Karasu.