The Yoodle Snook Beastie Book

Life is not easy for would-be poets. There is frustration and mental suffering. Over ten years ago, when we still had young grandkids, I woke up in the middle of the night recalling son Shannon's photo of a grizzly bear digging under logs. Suddenly a wild rhyme began running through my head… over and over. It wouldn't go away, so finally got up and wrote it down on a piece of paper.

First Wife Iris thought it humorous, so daughters read it to grandkids who giggled. That motivated me to do a small hand made book with fourteen other whimsy poems illustrated by photos. Afterwords the collection became lost, in vast messy piles of unorganized files. There it slumbered for a decade, inspite of frequent urging from Daughter Wendy to try a publisher.

Just found the rhymes during cleanup times and a publisher said she would like a close look at the "Yummy Yoodle Snook - Wild Beastie Book."

Following is that first wild rhyme which came to me in sleepy time:

Grizzly Bear

Fleegle fleegle flottom, there's a grizzly bear's bottom.

He can't get tasty honey for free or even money.

So he sneaks it from wild bees, "neath the logs and hollow trees,

While they sting him on the elbows, on the hindy and the knees.

Fleegle fleegle flottom, Oh! That poor bear's bottom.

While I'm at it, please bear a few more?

Mule Deer

Yummy Yum Yahooey, see the colors all so chewy.

Muleys chomp on pretty flowers, then munche 'em by the hours.

Doesn't matter red or blue, yellow's also good to chew.

They love the alpine lilies and think daisies are the dillies.

If you see some hungry deers, wearing big humungus ears,

Tell 'em "Yumm Yum Yahooey, see the colors all so chewy."

Bighorn Sheep

In whomp whomp autumn weather, rams bang their horns together.

They crash like speeding trains, which dizzies up their brains,

Colliding racks make deafening "CRACKS," among the mountains high.

Then the winners get the ladies and the loser sulk and sigh.

In whomp whomp autumn weather, rams bang their horns together.

Bluebirds

Utterly Flutterly, bright thrushes sing by.

Oh golly! They're bluebirds, the flowers that fly.

Mother is caring for eggs cobalt blue.

While father brings food as good daddy's do.

From early dawn hours 'neath the sun's warming rays,

The thrush cheerful songs proclaim happiness days.

When nights grow long .. summer's tunes are all gone.

"Over the Rainbow" … or someplace beyond.

Black Bear

Golly golly glunk. There's a beasty on that trunk.

It's a curious little bear and it shimmied way up there.

When it needs some yummy eats, the best are natural treats.

'Cause if people offer goodies, to the cub there in the woodies,

Mother bear comes growling out and will cuff them round about.

Golly golly glunk. There's a beasty on that trunk.

Forgive me for using you defenseless readers as test subjects. Just know that it has been good for me to get these whimsical creations an audience.

If the "Yummy Yoodle Snook - Wild Beastie Book", isn't published after the time it took, and it never enjoys a hard cover print, at least Ol' George can rest content.

G. George Ostrom is a Kalispell resident and a national-award winning Hungry Horse News columnist.