foxtail fancy

weaving down the back alleyways and side streets in a mini van cab driven by a man from Trinidad, I say to him -"Hey what's that, your lucky rabbit's foot?" i point to a ratty tail hanging from his key chain. he smiled a cheshire grin and says, "No, man, that's me lucky fox tail." apparently it was twice the size in it's original form, and then for no reason it broke in half. the cab had an odd smell, maybe it was the rotting tail. we got to talking about the crazy things people do in the name of luck. he said in Trinidad people like to swim where the ocean meets the river, even though it's dangerous at high tide. my quirky grandma is famous for her four leaf clover finds. she has found dozens in her life. you know what they say, fortune smiles at some, laughs at others.