Author: Ray Romine

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Choose Your Extreme

The people near him influenced him too muoh;
Their good opinions meant a lot, he said,
And so he spent a lifetime pleasing folks
Just doing things that neighbors thought he should,
And cousins, sisters, aunts and uncles too.
And everybody found him likeable,
Extremely so. He was in demand
For parties, or wherever people went.
And not a home in town but welcomed him.
Well, then, at what was rather late in life,
He thought he’d like to do to suit himself
A little while. I ‘m glad to say he did,
“Don’t live to please the world” he said, and died;
And knew himself a tool for having tried.

by Ray Romine Saturday, July 7, 1945

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Choice

The oak tree stands up proud and straight;
The willow bows in shame–
My life can either emulate,
With myself–Just–to blame .

by Ray Romine Wednesday, September 11, 1946

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Chlorophylosophy

A red leaf said to a yellow leaf
On a bright October day:
“Cheer up, old thing–this is our last fling,
So let’s, above all, be gay. “

But a human just isn’t built this way:
He has a loftier goal.
Though the end’s not yet, he must fumble and fret
Because of his alleged soul!

by Ray Romine Saturday, October 26, 1946

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Children At Play

Said one boy, “Let’s play like we’re men;
I’ll bust you wide open, and then
I’ll bounce off you, yessir,
And brand you aggressor,
And grow up to make the U.N!

by Ray Romine Friday, January 26, 1951

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Child’s Query

Whichever way I turn my head,
I see new things that fascinate:
A chipmunk in the flower bed;
A red bird sitting on the gate;
A little boy who moved next door ;
A fire-truck clanging fiercely by;
What’s inside an apple core;
Where and when and mostly why?
And when it’s time to stop my play,
What if I’m growing weary then?
If I tire of the world today,
Tomorrow it’s all new again.

But answer this one question, Lord:
If grown-ups LOOKED, would they be bored?

by Ray Romine Friday, January 11, 1952

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Cherry Pie

That I like pie there is no doubt–
Around me long, you’d find it out.
There’s only one kind I won I t eat
To this one I admit defeat–
It’s cherry.

For when I sit me down to eat
I like to think thoughts calm and sweet,
And that there’s pretty hard to do
If on a whopping seed you chew
In cherry.

It slips up on you from bebind
For have you ever tried to find
A seed, sir? No! You hve to bite
Right down on it with all your might–
That’s cherry.

I like for folks to come right out
Instead of going round about
To do me wrong, and that is why
I can’t stand that one kind of pie–
Yes, cherry!

The man who first made cherries grow
Sure did befriend a man I know–
The Dentist!!

by Ray Romine Thursday, January 25, 1934