Author: Ray Romine

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World Series, 1946

The painter’s brush moves listlessly;
I speak, but he isn’t hearing me:
There’s a radio on in that house, you see,
And the Series is more important.

A roofer’s hammer suspends in air,
And I can tell by the tension there
That he’s at an eastern Ball-park, where
The Series is more important.

A man mixing mortar pauses , too,
And grins, as he yells, “That run makes two ?
The house, you say? We ‘ll get it for you–
But the Series is more important.”

Then, he who didn’t show up at all-To
sit and listen to baseball–
Knows the house was to have been done this fall,
But the Series is more important.

The winter is coming on apace ,
And many an American has no space
To lay his head–but if you’ve a place,
Then the Series is more important.

by Ray Romine Tuesday, October 15, 1946

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Word to the Wee

It counts a lot, the things you do,
And how you do them, laddie,
To help you some day to come through
A better man than daddy.

by Ray Romine Monday, August 15, 1949

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Wolf In Boy’s Clothing

Johnny is a smart lad;
Still, Johnny has to stay
In with the teacher
While the others play.

Johnny knew the answer
But, “Er…ahem…hum-m.”
Have you seen his teacher?–
Johnny’s not so dumb!

by Ray Romine Tuesday, October 30, 1945

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Without Interest?

Not a few spend their lifetimes wishing for gold,
Security, fame, or to never grow old;
Some crave, with a hunger unsatisfied, pleasure,
While others would peddle their birthrights for leisure.
But I shall indulge in no wishing for, see–
I’ve learned that I’ll get just what’s coming to me!

by Ray Romine Wednesday, February 21, 1951

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With A Little Carrot Might Be Done!

There are those who’ll tell you that only two things in this world are sure–death and taxes;
But I’ve just had all my teeth pulled, above and below, and I’ve discovered something that that hard and fast rule sort of kills, or at least relaxes:

For if you ask me if I have a time, now, getting food enough in the stomach, you’re certainly humming:
I really don’t know for sure if I’m going or gumming!

Naturally I can sort of half-mangle a soft-solid, such as
a strawberry,
Or maybe even a potato, if it’s not raw very.

Take my advice, and don’t ever pick the summer-time to have your teeth out,
For, in winter, there aren’t so many good things to eat
lying around to have to do weethoutl

Please regard me as anything but boasting here,
When I say it’s tough to be without teeth in the season of the roasting-ear.

It’s hard to get your mind on even the war, with its Nazi-bombin’ and Jap-shellin’,
When you’d give anything Just to have a tooth to sink to the hilt in a Juicy watermelon.

You simply can’t imagine what teeth mean to the human system
Until you’ve mystem.

But, to get back to that other sure thing besides death and taxes, be it goodish or baddish–
I regard it as quite positive that you cannot GUM:a RADISH!

by Ray Romine Saturday, June 19, 1943

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Witch Key?

He was going to stay in the Haunted House;
But his alibi, to me,
Was a little thin: he couldn’t get in:
He forgot his skeleton key.

by Ray Romine Monday, September 5, 1949