Hooty McOwl

Inspired by a local news item

Hooty McOwl went flyin' one night

Lookin' to whet his owl appetite

With claws outstretched and radar on

He spied a big bug in the danger zone

Full speed ahead, I'll soon have ya caught!

A bullet with wings, his feathers got hot!

The bug flew slow, but Hooty was fast

(Too fast, alas, for owls to blast)

With tears in his eyes and too little sense

Hooty McOwl crashed into a fence

Author's Note

From a local news report. The picture is of the actual owl. Don't worry, a policeman came along and rescued him.

Reviews

[Marie]

Aaaawww!!! Poor Hooty McOwl (LOVE his name!) had no appetiser that night! I hope he had a nice dinner afterwards to make up for the huge disappointment of missing the bug due to being over the speed limit and crashing into the fence. Travelling too fast is never a good idea! Love this precious little poem and of course, love everything to do with Owls. They are infinitely amazing with equally amazing characters. Lovely work. I so enjoyed and thank you for sharing, Sam...

[Samuel Dickens]

Thank you, Marie. I'm so glad you enjoyed this little poem. I think everyone must like owls.

[Marie]

Have loved them since I was a very small little girl, Sam. Remember going into our local hardware with my Mam to buy wallpaper. I saw an Owl jug and fell in love with it and we came home with the Owl and not the wallpaper. Many years later my daughter asked me if she could have it. I thought she loved it as much as I did, but sadly, that wasn't so and there is no trace of the beautiful Owl jug now. I saw the same one on line in Etsy in Canada, but when I went to buy it, it was already bought! It took me until 2011 before I got to see real Owls in a Wild Life Reserve in County Clare, and of course, I fell in love with them and could see their different characters. Some of them were trying to sleep as it was day time and if one spoke they turned their heads and gave you a look which said "Please shut up. I am trying to sleep". They were very funny, Sam and of course, my Spirit Animal is a gorgeous Owl named Ollie... Thank you so very much for sharing Sam. Ps/My youngest daughter is literally afraid of her life of them, can't explain why but though 47 years old she would literally faint to be within 40 feet of one. Silly girl! Must be from a past lifetime, I think...

[FlatDaddy]

Oh, Sam, you've delivered a doozy, but what the hell happened after the last two lines? I turned my monitor over to see if they were there, perhaps slipping through the pixels to appear backward on the sturdy black casing. But NOOOO! And it doesn't matter if you revealed the ending in an "Author's Note." The story is in the POEM and you left me high and dry all worried about the fate of that damned feathered near-fatality! What happened? You not buy enough rhymes at Woolworth's*? Oh, I discovered later when I had calmed down, had a couple shots of scotch (which is hard to do when there's not a drop in the house), took a cold shower and returned to see if Hooty had feebly scratched two more lines of poetry beneath the last, feeble ones YOU left. But NOOOOO! again, and my voice was so loud it shook the screen -- and it moved, rolled upward two inches, and Hooty's fate was revealed in your "Author's Note."
Oh, sir, do not play with poor poets' fragile feelings. Though I will recover in a day or two, I pity those who never saw that rise of your note on their monitors. They will never forgive you, sir. And I ... I ... Oh, hell, I loved it, Sam! Thanks for the ride, and tell Hooty I miss him!
By the way, "on" and "zone" do not rhyme! But your line, " Too fast, alas, for owls to blast" was, a HOOT! (snicker)
* see jacob erin-cilberto's" Not the Most Popular Genre"
FD

[Samuel Dickens]

Thanks, FD. Until now, it has never occurred to me to rescue Hooty. Well, let's see... would Poe leave him on the fence for the rabbits to laugh at? Would Steven King? I'll think about it.

[FlatDaddy]

And Sam, I'm sorry, but I tossed and turned all night over this, and can't leave it! So I'll have to fix it myself! Here ya go:

"But he's okay, folks, just slightly concussed,
"And knows that a poet is no one to trust!"
Tada!

[Samuel Dickens]

Thank you for that. I'll think about it.

[FlatDaddy]

I do hope you know I'm just teasing -- but alas, I know I sometimes go too far. If so, I apologize, Sam. It's all done in the name of love, and friendship. I saw you friended me, and I cherish that. And I really dig your writing, and I would NEVER seek to change or usurp another writer's work.

[Samuel Dickens]

It's cool. I didn't think you were serious.

[John the Baptist]

Well, nature can always teach us. Get too pumped up and recklessness is the next phase. If Hooty survived, hopefully he learned something about caution.
PS: If you served 20+ in the Navy, you may be familiar with my hometown of Norfolk.

[Samuel Dickens]

Thanks, John. Yes, I know of Norfolk, though I was never stationed there. I made three cruises to the Mediterranean, but all from ships homeported in Mayport, Fla.

[emmajoygreen]

OHHHHHHHHH poor, poor owl! Thank goodness for the policeman. Grand poem, sir. Seems you're feeling better, truly hope so... go carefully slowly, please.

[Samuel Dickens]

Thank you. Yes, both the owl and I are doing okay. Lucky breaks are most welcome.

[redd Brick Keshner]

Hooty McOwl’s misadventure feels like a fable in motion, filled with speed, hunger, and a touch of hubris. The contrast between his keen precision and his ultimate downfall adds a delightful twist, making him a character both bold and endearing. The humour woven into the pacing and rhyme makes it all the more memorable—poor Hooty, flying too fast for his own wisdom!

[Samuel Dickens]

Thank you. There might even be a lesson here for us humans.

[redd Brick Keshner]

Indeed, that would be fair🙏🏻🕊

[Kelly Scheppers]

So glad he's ok! Thanks Sam, for the happy ending!

[Samuel Dickens]

Thank you. Yes, happy endings are best.

[MCS]

That old saying is true; look before you leap. Glad the owl was rescued.

[Samuel Dickens]

Thank you. I guess laser focusing has it's hazards.

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

Such a cute write and from a real life news story too
Love the name you gave him too
Nice to see happy writing these days
Hope you well

[Samuel Dickens]

Thank you. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

[Beccy]

Great fun little poem Samuel and rathr cleverly constructed I have to say. Nice to read humour, rather than angst.

Beccy.

[Samuel Dickens]

Thank you, Beccy. Yes, a little lightheartedness is in order.

[Betty Hermelee]

Dear Sam
AW...poor owl... both humans and creatures think they are smarter and can conquer everything they try to...but this example shows they cannot...like the rhyme and cute story... maybe a lesson or two as well
Warmly, B

[Buddhistboy73]

Kinda short but humorous poem here....it made me smile and that's the key for any writing ....to move the reader....

Imagine the owl crashing into the fence (as long as it was ok)....kinda like watching humans mess up.....
Thanks for sharing this...:)

BB73

[Samuel Dickens]

Thank you. Sorta like me crashing into a fence while chasing my kite string when I was about 8.