My sidewalk is in good repair;
I see no one abuse it;
Then, while it’s neither here nor there,
Why won’t the postman use it?
by Ray Romine Monday, August 8, 1949
Author: Ray Romine
Voyagers
“We shall travel to the ocean,” .
Daddy says, “Get things in motion–
We’ll sun and swim, and we shall play
In sand and waves, and kick salt spray,
And watch the tides or our toy ship;
And laugh at flying gulls that dip
For all their meals. And if we can,
We’ll get some tattooed sailor man
To tell us tales of sailing fun–
Of where he’s been and what he’s done.
So shake a leg, mate, – don’t be slow–
Anchors aweigh and off we go!”
(It sounds like fun, I have a notion,
Though I have never SEEN an ocean!)
by Ray Romine Friday, January 9, 1953
Vote Note
Sing a song of Politics ,
A pocket full of votes;
I ‘m getting fed on promises
And very tired of quotes.
Soon the radio will cease
Its loud vituperation ,
And papers look around for NEWS
To feed the population.
Though windy politicians won’t
Be half what you’ve expected,
Wearily two kinds hang on:
Elected–and Dejected.
by Ray Romine Wednesday, October 13, 1948
Voice-Versa
My darling sang entrancingly
Those days before we wed;
Her voice is active yet, but
It TALKS to me, instead!
by Ray Romine Tuesday, April 24, 1945
Voice in the Garden Wilderness
There is spading and hoeing and weeding;
There is bending and swearing and sweat;
The short cuts about which you’ve been reading
Just haven’t materialized yet.
If it’s arteries you want to harden–
It is said here with no thought of mirth-
You are nearer hard work in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
by Ray Romine Monday, June 26, 1950
Vitamin Sufficiency
Parents find this grain of comfort
In the way food costs are surging:
Kids come for meals without appeals,
And eat them without urging.
by Ray Romine Wednesday, June 20, 1951
Visitors
Trains whistle into our tovm;
They’ve such a cheerful way!
They pause awhile;
I see them smile,
“And how are you today?”
I watch them from my window;
I hear them toot “Hello!”
Hip, hip, hurray,
They’re on their way–
Sky-writing as they go!
by Ray Romine Sunday, August 26, 1951
Visitor
A big blue butterfly today
Dared me to touch him if I could,
As he flew swiftly on his way
Across the field, above the wood.
But I’ll look out tomorrow, when
He’ll maybe say “Hello!” again.
by Ray Romine Wednesday, January 9, 1952
Victory-gardening Note
To plant and hoe should be enough:
But now we gotta CAN the stuff–
If it’s OK with you, my dear,
We’ll CAN the whole idea next year!
by Ray Romine Wednesday, August 18, 1943
Via The Ditch?
Around three thousand cars a day
Are going off the roads, they say.
Can this be why my battle-scarred
Old Struggle-buggy steers so hard??
by Ray Romine Tuesday, September 11, 1945