A Tall Story Poem by sylvia spencer

The Inn smelt old as I walked through the door.
The tables were rustic and so was the floor.
I sat by the fire all cold and damp and my feet
were wet and numb with cramp.
The soot from the chimney lay piled in the grate
and some how I knew I was in for a long wait.
A nasty smell came up from nowhere
and without no one around, I had a feeling of
beware.
I was cold and hungry and my throat had a thirst
but little did I know I was to expect the worst.
A gust of wind came down the chimney breast
then all at once I knew I was not the only guest.
In the opposite chair sat a man in black, he never
came in the door so he must have come down the
open chimney stack.The air was cold and my hunger
got worse, then I saw this man get out his purse.
Out of his purse came coins of gold and I knew at once
they were very old. He counted the coins with his
hat pulled down, then looked at me and gave a frown.
Who was this man dressed in black, who came like
a ghost down the chimney stack.
I feared for my life in a funny kind of way, but something
was telling that I had to stay.
I watched the embers fade into ash and this man in black
count out his cash, was he a robber with a price on his head
or was he a ghost come back from the dead.
As I tried to get close but that nasty smell got stronger, it was
making me feel sick, I could'nt stand it any longer.
Then a gust of wind blew me across the room and the man
in black was gone to soon.
The cold had gone and the air was warm, the night had
gone and it was almost dawn.
I had supped the soup and eaten the bread and made
friends with a ghost who came back from the dead.The
smell had gone and that was the best, had I been put
through some sort of test.
The Landlord told me he visits every year to claim
the taxes on the Inns beer.A forgotton Tax Man
who was done to death because he had a nasty
smelly breath.Now this was a tall story and I do have others
because The Man in Black has several Brothers.