The Zombies Of Zander Ranch Poem by David Welch

I.
Sol stared down the empty trail before him,
looking to see what waited in the dim,
the Zander Ranch was the place from the note,
they'd written of evils born beyond hope.

So Sol approached atop his sturdy horse,
wondering if the scourge would break his course,
he'd met the undead in battle before,
and always thought fighting zombies a chore.

They weren't that impressive, brainless and slow,
but would travel in packs wherever they rose,
it was sheer numbers that made them a pain,
those that they killed joined them, aiding their reign.

But they were the evil he'd come to fight,
ahead of him he saw a faint lantern light,
that must be the place, but he sensed trouble,
saw some shadows on the ground shuffle.

Then one rose and walked, a slow, limping pace,
and Sol saw a rotting Indian's face,
they'd fought with the army, back a few years,
now some power drove them, that much was clear.

Not proud warriors, they were not themselves,
just walking meat, possessed by pure Hell,
like all zombies they made straight for the living,
Sol pulled his rifle and wasn't forgiving.

He shot for the head, the lead one went down,
the noise making six more fiends turn around.
They lumbered his way, he shot from his horse,
but for each he killed, there rose up two more.

Not just the Indians, but cavalry,
moldering blue wool, faces with no teeth,
foes once in life, now stalking him with one mind,
he circled and fired, time after time.

But the revenants numbered near one hundred,
they surrounded Sol, this army of dead,
and one little one made for the ranch door,
which then flung open to Sol's great horror.

He saw a woman appear in the light,
she called out, "Arthur! " then he leapt to bite,
the woman screamed as her dead son bit deep,
Sol pushed his horse on, trampling with its feet.

He broke through to the ranch, raced for the house,
with a shot blew zombie son's dead brains out,
then with no care, he raced his horse inside,
he would not leave his old mount out to die.

Sol leapt for his horse just to see the wife
in jerky motions take infernal life,
her face was gray, and all covered in veins,
the rancher went for her—was the man insane?

So Sol shot forwards, his gun fired its load,
he kicked the wife backwards, slammed the dooor closed.
"You can't save them now! "he angrily said,
"Your son and your wife are already dead! "

The rancher went numb, he could not reply,
a teen daughter appeared, scared look in her eyes,
she sat her pa down, then stood in his sight,
said, "My name is Rose, it was I who did write…"

II.
They were locked inside, surrounded by moans,
the pained cries of Hell enveloped the home,
the rancher too broken to even speak,
while Rose went and got Sol something to eat.

Sol went to work, and found a heavy chest,
pushed it to the door to block the entrance,
did the same at the back with the table,
Tten checked their weapons, made sure they were full.

The walls of the house were adobe, and thick,
with small gun-loupe windows that would do the trick,
no zombie would be able to squeeze in,
but he could shoot out at the creatures of sin.

He kept firing at all who passed by,
shooting down zombies with a tested eye,
until finally the hordes did fall back,
only then did Sol's Winchester go slack.

Rose then brought him some bread to much upon,
outside the zombies hadn't really gone,
Sol said, "Whoever raised them is thinking
how to get inside to do more killing.

"But they'll probably fall back before daylight,
the powers of Hell like to work in the night.
Nothing to do now but sit here and wait…
girl, do you know why you suffered this fate? "

Rose just shrugged since she had no idea why
the dead would choose their small ranch to arise,
Her father was too distraught to be help,
then Rose jumped up, and gave a small yelp.

"There was a man wearing a red, bowler hat!
I met him in town, was taken aback,
something about him just seemed to be off…
he tried to court me, but I loudly scoffed.

"Do you think that man has caused all this hurt?
Just because I thought he was of no worth? "
Sol shook his head, "There's no way to know,
I'll keep an eye out for such a man though."

That night not much more would happen to them,
come morn there was no sight of the dead men,
but Sol knew deep down the scourge wasn't done,
said there to Rose, "You two might want to run."

But Rose shook her head, said, "We built this ranch."
Her father was too sad to contest her stance,
said Sol, "We can win, but it will take toil,
I'll need all your hay, your pitch and lamp oil."

Then they prepared for the forces obscene,
soaked hay in oil until the dead grass gleamed,
spread it in a circle around the house,
mixed with some pine pitch, they were ready now.

They climbed up high, right on the ranch-house roof,
the father, still stunned, climbed the ladder aloof,
he just sat up there, staring into space,
so broken he could not fight for his place.

Sol just frowned at this, grabbed shards of wood,
then they waited until the light wasn't good,
then from the canyons, and beyond the hills,
zombies lurched out, until the homestead was filled…

III.
There must be a hundred, silent and cruel,
a slow-moving wave as the night grew cool,
Rose had a shotgun, to blast out her hate,
yet Sol remained steady, motioned her to wait.

He didn't shoot, he had planned out this trick,
just drew a match and then picked up a stick,
waited until they reached the circle below,
then tossed out the stick with a forceful throw.

Up went all the hay in a ribbon of flame,
two dozen zombies were instantly claimed,
those not on fire had to march through it,
the tall flames making them clearly back-lit.

Then came the guns, Sol's Winchester fired,
next Rose's piece, he told her to aim higher;
burning zombies jerked back, shot through the head,
the fell power broken, they now could stay dead.

But more just pressed on, ambling for the house,
Sol reloaded quick, his gun already out.
as they shuffled closed, deadly was his aim,
the homestead a mess of moldering brains.

Yet a large handful got up to the wall,
not caring how many of them did fall,
on those already down they clambered up,
one head popped up, by a slug was walloped.

And then, behind him, he heard a shrill scream,
one had Rose's foot, pulled with a strength mean,
then papa Zander jumped up with a gun,
panicked that he might lose another one.

He shot out its head, and Rose them pulled free,
picked up her gun for a slaughtering spree,
the remaining zombies had gotten near,
but were stuck below, quite close it appeared.

The three gave their foes hot fire and death,
from smoking gun-barrels new bullets leapt,
below the dead dropped without a peep,
their dead-again bodies now lying in heaps.

Silence fell, no more zombies on the prowl,
Sol took a breath, relaxed his hard scowl,
then peered out carefully into the gloom,
thought he saw a figure beneath the moon.

A rider on horseback, with a bowler hat…
he frowned, but did not tell Rose about that.
They spent the next morning cleaning the ranch,
burning all the bodies, lord how it stank!

It would not be easy, just Rose and her pa,
and trying not to remember what they saw.
Sol stayed for two days, and then took his leave,
riding away from the ranch quite relieved.

No nee note had come, he'd been given time
to rest his tired bones, relax and unwind;
he'd hear for a town, for women and drink,
an actual bed where he could stop and think.

Ponder the red bowler, what it could mean,
what new evil now walked upon Earth's scene…
to raise up zombies dark magics you must know,
he rode on realizing he faced a new foe…