Orpheus ascending

Y'all probably know the story but just in case:

Long time ago there was this dude, Orphy, see, and he played a really mean dobro. Story is he was so good even the birds came to learn songs from him.

Well he fell for this chick Eurydice, wowed her with the licks he'd play on his axe and sweet sung her in to marrying him just like that.

No happyeverafter here, on the wedding day she stepped in a snake nest, snakes took offense, bit her and she died and went to hell.

Well Orphy wasn't cool about that so he went to hell right after her to bargain with the top dogs and bring her back.

So! He got there, met up with the boss and the boss lady, took out his axe and started strumming and singing. He sung the green from the trees on the earth above, the heat from the earth below, the blue of the sky never seen in hell, the sound of the rain that never falls in Hades until.. the boss man, with tears in his eyes (another thing never before seen in hell) said: "Wow man, that's mellow, you want to take your chick back topside, you got it!"

Orphy and Eurydice turned to leave when the Chief coughed an 'ahem!'

"Ah, Orphy, one little thing. You can take her back but, and this but is a big, deal breaker, but. What ever you do don't look back at her until your all the way out of hell and your feet are back in livingville. You look back, I take her back!"

Orphy say: "No problem, I'm cool with that man."

Well to make a long story short O&E were almost to the gates of hell when she stubbed her pretty little toe and said: "Oh!!"

Well Orphy, of course heard her and thought he better turn to see if she was hurt. He said "Hey, little darlin', you all right?"

She say: "I was numbbrain, 'till you turned, just couldn't keep your eyes front, could you? Now it's splitsville!" and she was gone as quick as that back to the depths of hell.

Orphy left hell but he didn't live happily ever after, all the pretty woman topside stoned him to death, -but that's another story.
soft pastel on 9" X 12" cheap construction paper.