Swift and bold and wild and shrewd;
Symbol of land that gave him birth,
The eagle soars all unsubdued
To bridge the gap from Heaven to earth.
by Ray Romine Wednesday, June 10, 1953
Author: Ray Romine
Balcony Moan
The gal on stage emotes with passion
That scatters tears to the fourteenth row;
But I can sob better in genuine fashion–
To watch her performance, I laid out dough.
by Ray Romine Thursday, January 18, 1951
Balanced
The man had cheated me, and lied, to boot,
I quite forgot that he was only one,
And, castigating all the race with him,
I felt a bitterness toward every man
That sent me out beneath the trees.
There on the ground, a buckeye caught my eye–
I pondered on the uselessness of it,
So far as food for man goes. “But,” I said,
“Not everything in Nature is for me.
Now there’s a walnut just beyond–.” I turned,
And as I wandered back to town, I smiled,
My feud with God and mankind reconciled.
by Ray Romine Tuesday, October 15, 1946
Bad To Verse
Now it’s true I like my jingles
It’s an awful lot of fun,
And I write on any subject–
That is, all save only one.
For there’s one thing I can’t write on
Cannot contemplate with glee:
That’s the college lad or lassie,
For they’re castor oil to me!
I started with drawing pictures, and
Things went from bad to worse.
The drawings were bad, but Oh! how sad
When I drifted to writing verse.
by Ray Romine Saturday, April 1, 1933
Bad Medicine
“Arthur Godfrey has been commissioned by President Truman as a full commander in the Naval Reserve.”
— News item
A rather clever move, at that!
Take any Comrade–one glance at
His frowning brow and tight-clenched teeth’ll
Prove laughter to him could be lethal.
by Ray Romine Friday, September 22, 1950
Backward Glance
Lid of compact, to fair peerer,
Is not so much for face condition
As portable rear-vision mirror
With which to check the competition.
by Ray Romine Tuesday, August 2, 1949
Background
God, help me always to remember
When life at times shall seem unsightly
It takes the dull gray of November
To make the evergreen shine brightly.
by Ray Romine Saturday, November 17, 1951
Backfire
Those who object
To a little noise
Made all of it
When they were boys.
And those whom gossip
Really thrills
Did pretty well
When they were girls.
The short aad lesson
Age will bring:
Do not object
To anything.
by Ray Romine Wednesday, May 9, 1951
Azure Eyes
I thought the ultimate in blue
I’d found in eyes when I met you;
And then I started watching skies
And bluebirds. I apologize
For doubting, since the ocean’s hue,
Forget-me-not’s and gentian’s too,
All pale beside the lights that dance
Square-centered in my sweetheart’s glance.
by Ray Romine Saturday, February 24, 1951
Awakening
The shy, emerging buds of spring
Peer out in blinking mild surprise
To hear the happy bluebird sing,
And watch the hungry grasses rise.
But you and I have dropped our pride!
No miracle the spring imparts,
However done, can stand beside
The wonder of love-opened hearts.
by Ray Romine Thursday, September 6, 1951