The Story of Harry Allen Stroup and Stanley Dean Baker

July Nineteen-Seventy

couple hippies caught a ride

From a Montana man, driving

who saw them on the side

Soon after, Stroup departed

leaving the other two men alone

Unknowing was James

that he’d never get home

Picked them both up

without thinking more of it

But then there was a gun

coming from the hippie’s pocket

James fell right to sleep

too much faith in the stranger

Clueless while he was sleeping

he was right next to danger

Late night for the two men

in Yellowstone Park

Surrounded by nothing

just the silencing dark

Baker crawled right over

to where James had slept

Then put two bullets

where his brain was kept

Just killing the innocent

didn’t make him feel full

“Stanley Dean Baker!

The man’s a cannibal!”

Took out James’ heart

ate it right there

Cut off the victim’s fingers

combed through the corpses’ hair

Threw the body on out

to the bottom of the river

Body now heartless

not making Baker even shiver

Baker packed his things

leaving James’ stuff there

Now he’d find Mr. Stroup

the only question was “Where?”

Took the man’s truck

headed out on the road

Holding fingers as souvenirs

in the pocket of his coat

Picked up Stroup soon after

found him on the road again

Telling Stroup what had happened

antsy to spill the details to him

The two drove recklessly

ended up wrecking the truck

On the side of the road again

it was just their luck

Their next ride in California

it wasn’t who they’d hoped for

You see, it was the cops

holding guns behind the car door

Stroup and Baker gave in easy

even pulled out the fingers

The tension in the air grew

the cop’s stare did linger

Baker admitted, even cried out,

“I have a problem. I’m a cannibal!”

The cops holding back smirks

because that was just undeniable

Cops arrested them both

discovering more as they went

Stroup not holding very much

Baker had the mass of the content

A recipe for LSD

a copy of the Satanic Bible

Was it for a club?

Was it maybe tribal?

Neither! Good God!

Each guess was an insult

Baker was a Wyoming member

of a blood drinking cult

So now he is a hippie

and a Satanist as one

Drinking blood in the mountains

“Oh it’s so much fun!”

The two men were cuffed up

drove to the nearest jail

There was no chance for probation

they didn’t discuss any bail

For these two were man eaters

cannibals from our town

But just 15 years in jail

now they’re out walking around

Could be in the house next door

the public doesn’t know

Keep your fingers close to you

and don’t forget your toes

‘Cause their whereabouts are confidential

that was Baker’s last request

But you’d better check your closets

for those hippie Satanists

-Megan Songer