Dear Uncle Royle,                     Dec. 12, 1974

You'll never guess what happened to me,

As I returned home tonight to see

Ronnie and Robbie caught a mouse.

They put him a little glass house.

A fish tank it use to be,

But there inside a mouse I see.

You can't keep that I said.

That ugly mouse in a glass bed.

But I finally gave in.

My boys they did win.

Don't let that thing get out,

Or I will really shout.

To have a mouse for a pet.

The creature's in there yet.

I have to laugh at them still,

The foolishness of a boys will.

Last night I took children - 7

To Clinton shopping til almost 11

We looked at the Christmas lights

We saw some beautiful sites.

David and Derek came too.

With a friend of ron's we had a few.

But I love kids and I had fun.

Stopped at K Mart and let em run

Through the isles to Christmas  shop

Spent all their money before they stopped.

Ronnie bought a hamster for his brother

Wasn't a favorite gift of mothers.

But alas, they shouted with glee,

When that hamster they did see,

For he let them have it last night.

To feed it was only right.

So now a hamster and a mouse

Each has its own glass house.

It delights me when I think

Of boys and their mice that stink.

What ere will they think of next?

Surely they shall grow and think of girls.

Now Crystal is feeling better.

We sure did enjoy your letter.

But the tumor that they found

Was safe and now she's sound.

But a disease she has been told

Will bring more tumors to unfold.

So she must always take care

To not let them stay there.

To top it off, she has arthritis

And just recovered from tonsillitis.

Don't think she'll ever really be well

But only time will tell.

Of all the kids, she's the one

Had to be sickly, that's no fun.

So glad I got good health.

That's much better than wealth.

I hate to see those I love so dear

With bad health now here.

Wish I could make you well

And Crystal too, that'd be swell.

Now Ronnie, who's 14 nearly 15 years

Must have inherited granddad's gears.

For on Varsity, he wrestles now.

Coach put him up against a real cow.

Weighing 124 he wrestled 138

To lose it was his fate.

But so proud I was of my son,

Who when the match had just begun

He used a new hold he made up

And nearly got the winners cup.

For he pinned him good at that.

Trouble was he got off the mat.

So tho he got that big kid down,

The other boy got the crown.

But he did something hard to do.

He wrestled a kid heavier too.

And he almost nearly won

I am well pleased with this son.

But as I have children four

Talk steadily I could more

Hard for me to shut up

When my boy nearly won the cup.

Robbie feeling rather ill

Took to the doc who gave a pill

To Dubuque to a specialist

The only doctor I could trust.

Doctored here for three weeks

Til this doc I did seek

He hurt with an aching ear

Doc he lanced and Rob had fear

Tomorrow he has to go back

This doctors good and he don't lack.

Robbie will soon be well again

To wrestle again, he will begin

For he's in 8th grade ad real good too

To miss a match made him blue.

The last 2 he won hands down

This little boy who loves to clown

Walks on his hands instead of feet

Gives the family a real treat.

Now George caught that flue

Had a cough and fever too

To our local doctor he went.

But outside again he was sent

Doc wouldn't let him in

Now this should make you grin,

Said he didn't want to be exposed

To the cold George had in his nose.

Wouldn't let him in the room

Our local doctor, a real goon.

Hard to believe such a fool

A doctor with such a rule

To cure the well and not the sick

I wonder what makes him tick.

George feels better anyhow

Few days past and he's nearly well now

This flu bug is all around

So far it hasn't got me down.

Well time for me to hit the hay

Soon will be anothr day.

I will again pick up the pen

And to write another I will begin.

For never thought could be such fun

Until these letters I begun.

With love,

Your Niece,  Sharon

Dear Sharon,

THE BELL GOES BONG

The old champ comes out with a glazed eye

He is like a steer, he can only try

It had been a mighty battle all the way.

Now was the time for the judge to say,

The Champ is to judge the winner to be

Only he has the proper authority.

He knew a worthy heir had been found.

With pride he would wrap the mantle around

New poem writer champion of the world,

With tears of joy that mantle he unfurled.

He said, "only you have the ability to wear

This emblem that I used to bear

You have earned it in a clean contest

I know I can tell, which of us is best

So tell to everyone even God my maker

New poem writer champ is Sharon Baker

So I the old champ, unable to answer the bell,

Will continue to write poetry, my story to tell

I might be down, but I aint out

Once in a while I will give you a shout

To you Sharon live a very happy llife

Enjoy to the full, being Roger's wife

You have enjoyed being a great mother

Now is the time to be the other.

Enjoy to the full, the life you will share

Make now a heaven, for those whom you care

You have the qualities for an angel to be

To everyone around you, including Lorilei

Your boys are great, they just gotta be

Because their sister is little Lorilei

Lorilei is wonderful, she was great

The very highest is how her I rate.

Completely at ease, not a bit of fear

I was so proud of her I even had a tear.

Someday she will be like her cousin June

That time what a pleasure to hear her sing a tune.

Oh the pleasures God gives me at a time

One is when I get from you a letter in rhyme.

Now the time is near this letter to end.

Get it ready and mail it to a dear friend.

Then I get ready and over to Norman's go

Ilene invited me and you know

When she gets a meal and calls it supper

You can get an old belly filler upper

Still Champ of the Spoon River Poet

Royle Helle

            And still a good saw player